Updates published to two important SDCEP resources
Antibiotic Prophylaxis Against Infective Endocarditis and Management of Acute Dental Problems
NHS Education for Scotland’s (NES’s) Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP) has published new editions of two of its resources: Antibiotic Prophylaxis Against Infective Endocarditis and Management of Acute Dental Problems.
The updated SDCEP Antibiotic Prophylaxis Against Infective Endocarditis implementation advice supports dental teams to identify and manage the dental care of patients at increased risk of infective endocarditis, with a focus on shared decision-making. The implementation advice is presented within a dedicated website (www.antibioticprophylaxis.sdcep.org.uk), with supporting tools also provided, and is endorsed by several UK cardiac societies.
Key messages are:
- Antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended or should be considered for patients with high-risk cardiac conditions
- Antibiotic prophylaxis is not recommended for patients with moderate risk cardiac conditions
- All patients at increased risk of infective endocarditis should be given advice about prevention
- Dental teams must make a shared decision with their patients about antibiotic prophylaxis for ‘at-risk’ dental procedures
- Dental teams should explain the potential benefits and harms of antibiotic prophylaxis so that patients can make an informed decision about whether prophylaxis is appropriate for their individual situation.
The updated SDCEP Management of Acute Dental Problems guidance provides decision support to identify any immediate advice or attention to give a patient presenting with an acute dental problem, and to determine the appropriate provider of subsequent care.
The guidance is intended for use by a range of healthcare staff such as general medical practice, emergency department and pharmacy staff, as well as members of the dental team. The updated guidance is available via a dedicated website (www.acutedentalproblems.sdcep.org.uk).
Both resources are acknowledged by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the four UK Chief Dental Officers as having UK-wide relevance. The dental faculties of the UK Royal Surgical Colleges also endorse these resources as providing reliable, high quality professional advice.