RELIABILITY OF SELF-REPORTED HEART MURMUR HISTORY - POSSIBLE IMPACT ON ANTIBIOTIC USE IN DENTISTRY

Administration of prophylactic antibiotics to a dental patient with a history of heart murmur, rheumatic fever or mitral valve prolapse shou ld be based on a reliable diagnosis of heart valve disease. The author s conducted a study of 68 diabetic patients who reported having these conditions and found that at least 65 percent of these patients actual ly had no evidence of a pathological heart murmur during two previous physical examinations. They concluded that a self-reported history of heart valve disease should not be the sole criterion for antibiotic pr emedication.