Bacterial endocarditis: a short overview.

Bacterial (infective) endocarditis is a potentially fatal illness which may follow transient bacteremia induced by certain dental procedures. It is the purpose of this article to discuss the rationale behind the American Heart Association's current guidelines on antibiotic prophylaxis for this disease, to consider the dentist's role in implementing these recommendations, and to identify how the physician and dentist can act in the patient's best interests to prevent this illness.