Have you had a joint replacement in the past and felt confused on whether or not you should take antibiotics prior to your dental treatment? Well you are not alone. Many in the medical industry have been confused with the changing guidelines recommended for joint replacement patients. It has been recommended that patients with prosthetic joints should pre-medicate for life. It has also been recommended to pre-medicate for 2 years after the surgery. Confusing, right? Now the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) have clarified the issue and determined that patients with prosthetic joints no longer need to pre-medicate.
Their reasons for this recommendation are based on their findings that there is no association between dental procedures and the occurrence of prosthetic joint infections. Factors also considered in the recommendation included:
1- Antibiotic resistance due to overuse of these drugs.
2- Adverse drug reactions such as anaphylaxis, nausea, vomiting and development of allergy like symptoms.
3- Cost. The results of a 2013 report revealed that the annual cost of amoxicillin administered to patients with joint prostheses before dental procedures in the U.S. probably exceeded $50 million!
So the bottom line is that if you have had a joint replacement you no longer need to pre-medicate for dental visits. These new guidelines do not apply however to pre-medication for patients with cardiac issues that were outlined in 2007.
No comments:
Post a Comment