s about time for me to have dental work done. Even if my PFO is small, do I still need antibiotics to prevent a possible bacterial infection? Thanks!
Noninfective endocarditis may be diagnosed when echocardiography detects vegetations on heart valves, but no bacteria are detected in blood samples. Anticoagulants may be used to prevent clotting, but their benefits have not been confirmed. Prognosis is generally poor, more because of the seriousness of the underlying disorder than because of the heart problem....noninfective endocarditis has been rule out...no information regarding infective endocarditis!
Hi, according to the new guidelines, prophylactic antibiotics to prevent endocarditis, prior to dental therapy are no longer recommended for individuals with mitral valve prolapse, rheumatic heart disease and bicuspid valve disease. So, you may not need antibiotics. But, please discuss this with your doctor am sure he will provide further assistance. Regards.
My question is, is it still ok to give her the antibiotics after the procedure? Can it still prevent Endocarditis?
Over time, they have assessed the increasing medical evidence, and have reduced the amount of antibiotics needed to prevent endocarditis. It used to be that you had to take antibiotics for a couple of days around a procedure, then it came down to twice in one day, then it was just before the procedure.
t pay much attention to it until i read somewhere that if you leave an abscessed tooth untreated long enough it will cause infective endocarditis in a heart with MVP , i freaked out so i went to the dentist and he gave me antibiotics twice a day till he does a root canal or extract the tooth if he had too , my next appointment is tomorrow i've been on antibiotics 1g for 2 days and today i noticed a new abscessed gum above my front tooth !
I have read that clindamycin is a commom drug prescribed to ppl before dental work to prevent endocarditis in those with heart problems, so why would they prescribe it to someone with heart problems if it is bad??
I dont take anything for my pvcs nor are they very bad. Doctor thinks they are just stress, but considering I have had them for a year and a half, Im not so sure. This being said, should I still be concerned about taking the medicine?
Doctors are split on this, I understand they do not want to risk. One doctor even agreed to stop the antibiotics after 6 months, but when I visited him last suddenly felt I could keep taking; I felt the decision was more driven by ‘what if I am not doing the right thing?’, so did not want to take unnecessary risks.
What is your suggestion? I plan to take vitamin c, coq 10, garlic to keep my immune system at the best and avoid alcohol and smoking.
ThNks for all your suggestions.
First, it is used in people who are allergic to penicillins and at risk to develop bacterial endocarditis. This is a serious heart infection. It can be fatal. People at risk for this infection take antibiotics before dental treatments that tend to cause bleeding.
Go ahead and talk to your doctor to see if he thinks you need to be tested for endocarditis, because you need to have your mind put at ease. But it is not as easy to get endocarditis as you might think. If it was that easy, then anybody who has chronic acne, for instance, would get endocarditis, because any localized infection would spread throughout the bloodstream. It just doesn't usually work that way, at least not in otherwise healthy people.
Hi Tonia,
I agree with Dawn that I don't think you should worry about endocarditis. For many years, the American Heart Assn. and the American College of Cardiology recommended prophylactic antibiotics. However, in 2007, they revised the guidelines and people in your situation (mild MVP, trivial regurgitation) are no longer advised to take antibiotics prior to dental treatments. I don't know the guidelines where you live, but I believe the revisions apply worldwide.
I went home googled it, read about endocarditis and panicked. She showed the nail splinters to the hospital doctor who reassured her that she did not have endocarditis.
CT scan showed no abnormality so she was discharged and asked to come back two days later for an MRI scan which took place 2 days ago. Yesterday she was called back for another (2nd) more detailed scan of her head and we are now waiting to hear back from them.
I understand this may lead to endocarditis and severe regurgitation. I want to know what would cause these complications and how to prevent those. Thanks so much. Would appreciate anyone's help on this.
Talk to her doctor about the possibility of needing antibiotics prior to dental work to prevent the (slim) chance of endocarditis. Again, I'm NOT a doctor, just a mom who's had a lot of experience with this,.
This has turned out to be an urban legend that must stop for the sake of all heart attack survivors who of all people need excellent preventive dental health care especially to prevent endocarditis.
There are heart coditions that require prophylaxis to prevent bacterial endocarditis. Most cardiac conditions requiring prophylaxis (antibiotic) will fall into the following category.
High risk:
...."Acquired valvular heart disease (such as rheumatic heart disease, valvular stenosis and regurgitation).
....MVP with regurgitation and/or myxomatous leaflets.
...Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy".
As stated by ed34 there is very little risk with mild regurgitation ...
Late last December my heart rate dropped to 40 and, of course, I felt a bit dizzy, but if you can exercise and bring it up I don't believe it's too serious. I had something to eat and it went back up to my rate, which exactly like yours--48. I too have mitral value problems. (Most people, even those with heart disease, don't need to take antibiotics before a routine dental of surgical procedure anymore.
I'd like to start out by saying that I have generalized anxiety disorder and take citalopram 20mg every day; it helps most of the time but I'll admit that sometimes I still panic, like these days.
I have a ventricular septal defect that was repaired via open heart surgery at 2 and a half years old; there was some leaking left after it and I had a cardiologist up until I was 16, I'm 24 now.
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