Knowledge and Practice of BDS Graduates Regarding Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Infective Endocaraditis

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to find out the BDS graduates’ knowledge regarding antibiotic prophylaxis in infective endocarditis according to Amerian Dental Association guidelines.
Methodology: A questionnaire, containing 28 questions, was distributed among BDS graduates who were serving at Khyber  College of Dentistry during the period between April 2018 to June 2018.
Results: In total 116 questionnaires were distributed among which 85 graduates responded back with response rate of 73.27%.
Most graduates used multiple sources to gain knowledge. Most graduates (92.45%) knew that patients with previous history of endocarditis and patients suffering from rheumatic heart disease are the conditions which need antibiotic prophylaxis. In case of procedures which need antibiotic prophylaxis the highest percentage of correct answers was for periodontal surgery (98.11%) followed by extraction (92.45%). Regarding regime of antibiotics most graduate were of the option that penicillin is the first choice of drug and 1g of it should be given.
Conclusion: Most of the graduates had an inadequate knowledge regarding use of antibiotic prophylaxis against infective endocarditis and were unaware of the current guidelines, so there should be trainings and workshops to refresh their knowledge regarding current practices.