Does dental-induced bacteraemia cause haematogenous infections in patients with joint prostheses?
Does antibiotic prophylaxis prevent such infections? What is the cost-risk benefit of providing such cover? Does dental-induced bacteraemia cause haematogenous infections in patients with joint prostheses? It is now regarded as routine practice to give antibiotic prophylaxis prior to hip or other joint replacements. Such use of antibiotics has reduced the prevalence of post-operative infection to about 1%. This suggests that nearly all joint infection arises from wound contamination and not from haematogenous spread. To establish whether a dental-induced bacteraemia has caused a joint infection, it is necessary to confirm the following criteria: (a) the same organism must be isolated from the oral site and infected joint; (b) the presence of the organism must be confirmed with a positive blood culture; (c) the timing of the dental event and the procedure carried out must relate to the onset of the joint infection. DNA fingerprinting techniques have to be utilised to confirm that isolat
