Wednesday, December 19, 2012

New Prophylatic Antibiotic Guidelines for Joint Replacements Issued by the American Dental Association



The American Dental Association has issued new guidelines for the prophylatic use of antibiotics prior to dental treatment. This time it is for patients with orthopedic joint replacements.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons(AAOS), and the American Dental Association(ADA) found that there is insufficient evidence to recommend the routine use of antibiotics for patients with orthopaedic implants to prevent infections prior to having dental procedures because there is no direct evidence that routine dental procedures cause prosthetic joint infections.

The AAOS and ADA's recommendations are based on a collaborative evidence-based clinical practice guideline that focuses on the possible linkage between orthopaedic implant infection and patients undergoing dental procedures.

"As clinicians, we want what is in the best interest of our patients, so this clinical practice guideline is not meant to be a stand-alone document. Instead it should be used as an educational tool to guide clinicians through treatment decisions with their patients in an effort to improve quality and effectiveness of care," said David Jevsevar, MD, MBA, chair of the AAOS Evidence Based Practice Committee which oversees the development of clinical practice guidelines.

The new guidelines can be found here at the ADA website.

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