title: Bacteremia following subgingival irrigation and scaling and root planing.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of bacteremia after a single professional subgingival irrigation with a 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate mouthrinse (CHX) as well as after a subsequent scaling and root planing (S/RP) during the same visit. Thirty subjects each with at least 1 site that probed 4 mm or more and bled on probing were randomly assigned to the following groups: 1) irrigation with 0.12% CHX; 2) irrigation with sterile water; and 3) non-irrigated controls. To begin the study blood was drawn just before and 2 minutes after irrigation. Thirty minutes later, blood was drawn again just before and 2 minutes after S/RP at the same site. Specimens were cultured for anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms using standard cultural techniques. Eighteen blood cultures from 15 subjects yielded positive cultures resulting in 23 isolates. Gram-positive rods comprised 34.8% of the total isolates; Gram-positive cocci 34.8%, Gram-negative rods 21.7%, and Gram-negative cocci 8.7%. In the CHX group, bacteremia was detected in 5 subjects after irrigation and in 2 other subjects after S/RP. In the water group, bacteremia was detected in one subject after irrigation and in 4 subjects after S/RP. The control group had 3 bacteremias after S/RP. There was no significant difference between the incidence of bacteremia associated with irrigation by CHX or sterile water (P = 0.141). There was also no significant difference in the incidence of bacteremia after S/RP between the CHX and sterile water irrigation groups and in patients who did not receive irrigation (control group) (P = 0.88).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Dental Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, West Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lofthus
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Waki
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Jolkovsky
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Otomo-Corgel
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Flemmig
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nachnani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000628:therapy*; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000628:therapy*; D016745:Root Planing / Q000009:adverse effects; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000009:adverse effects; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D002710:Chlorhexidine