Key result
Antibiotic prophylaxis for infective endocarditis has a logical rationale, but proving its clinical efficacy is impossible because most cases follow spontaneous bacteremias.
Why the study?
Does antibiotic prophylaxis prevent infective endocarditis?
Does antibiotic prophylaxis prevent infective endocarditis?
The efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis for infective endocarditis remains logically sound but practically impossible to definitively prove due to the nature of spontaneous bacteremias.
Antibiotic prophylaxis is logical but it is impossible to prove its efficacy. Most cases of infective endocarditis follow seemingly 'spontaneous' bacteraemias and cases of seemingly 'failed' prophylaxis may have done the same, the prophylaxis having been 'successful' for the occasion for which it was given. We cannot find out how many cases of infective endocarditis would have occurred but for successful prophylaxis.
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C M Oakley (1987) conducted a review in Infective endocarditis. Antibiotic prophylaxis was evaluated. Antibiotic prophylaxis for infective endocarditis has a logical rationale, but proving its clinical efficacy is impossible because most cases follow spontaneous bacteremias.
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