Current prophylaxis for prevention of infective endocarditis.

A nationwide postal survey of dental and medical practitioners was undertaken to ascertain the degree of acceptance of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy guidelines on prophylaxis for infective endocarditis. Questionnaires were circulated to 21,050 individuals. The overall response rate was 17%. Prophylaxis for infective endocarditis is widely practiced (99% of respondents) and the recommendations are generally accepted but there is still room for improvement in practice, particularly in drug dosing, timing and duration of prophylaxis. There is a disappointing lack of use of local policies, topical antibiotics and cardiac alert cards.