Sir, we should no longer give penicillin cover to rheumatic fever patients and the like; such patients are five times more likely to suffer a fatal reaction to the antibiotic than they are to die of endocarditis.
These are the inferences I draw from the latest edition of Evidence Based Dentistry (EBD 2004, 5: 46). It seems to me that it would be irresponsible, and risking litigation, to continue the established practice of giving the antibiotic cover. Are we all agreed on this?
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Balfry, G. Antibiotic cover. Br Dent J 197, 224 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4811633
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4811633