The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #62245

Kishore Shetty, DDS, MS, General Dentistry and Infectious Disease, LSU Health Sciences Center, 1100 Florida Avenue,#127, New Orleans, LA 70119, 504-903-7322, kshett@lsuhsc.edu

Objectives:The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effectiveness of prophylactic and postsurgical antibiotic use in HIV positive patients undergoing invasive dental procedures in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy using data from Randomised controlled clinical trials (RCT). Method: The review was prepared according to Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. The Cochrane Oral Health Group Specialist Register and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register were searched (Cochrane Library 2002, Issue 2), together with Medline from 1966 or Embassy from 1974. Several journals and proceedings from Dental conferences in the past two years were also reviewed. Result: No RCT studies comparing the effectiveness of prophylactic and postsurgical antibiotics in HIV positive patients undergoing invasive dental procedures. Conclusions: Clinicians and health care policy makers ought to be aware of the lack of reliable clinical evidence for or against the clinical effectiveness of antibiotic use during dental procedures. There is a great need for RCTs to determine the need for propylactic or post-surgical antibiotic therapy

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the present use of antibiotics in HIV positive patients undergoing dental procedures.
• Identify the rationale for propylactic or post-surgical use of antibiotics in patients undergoing invasive dental procedures.

Keywords: Oral Health, HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.