Antibiotic prophylaxis for dental or urological procedures following hip or knee replacement.
OBJECTIVE
Reports of prosthetic joint infection associated with urological or dental procedures have prompted suggestions that these patients require antibiotic prophylaxis, but no guidelines have been agreed. We have polled orthopaedic surgeons, urologists, and dentists on this issue.


METHODS
The questions asked were: could infection of a joint prosthesis result from a dental or urological procedure; does the risk of infection warrant patients informing their dentist or urologist about their joint replacement; should these patients have prophylactic antibiotics for (a) routine procedures and (b) lengthy procedures.


RESULTS
Urologists and orthopaedic surgeons agreed that infection could probably result from urological procedures and that patients should definitely inform their urologist about their prosthesis. Orthopaedic surgeons thought that antibiotics were definitely indicated for routine and lengthy urological procedures while urologists thought antibiotics were probably indicated. Orthopaedic surgeons thought that infection probably could result from dental procedures, while dentists answered "don't know". Both groups agreed that patients should definitely inform their dentist about their prosthesis. Orthopaedic surgeons thought that antibiotics probably were necessary for routine and lengthy dental procedures, whereas dentists answered "probably not" and "don't know", respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
These results could provide the basis for a consensus regarding prophylactic antibiotic use in this growing patient population.
Kingston
R
R
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland. rosski@gofree.indigo.ie
Kiely
P
P
McElwain
J P
JP
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003729:Dental Care / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003815:Dentists; D030881:Disclosure; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D007720:Knee Prosthesis; D010820:Physicians; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents