Resumen de Antibiotics prescription habits of Spanish endodontists: impact of the ESE awareness campaign and position statement
Alfonso López Marrufo Medina, Laura Domínguez Domínguez, Daniel Cabanillas-Balsera, Victoria Areal-Quecuty, Isabel Crespo-Gallardo, María del Carmen Jiménez Sánchez, José López López, Juan J. Segura Egea, Jenifer Martín González
Background: The inadequate use of antibiotics by dentists can contribute to antibiotic resistance. The European Society of Endodontology (ESE) has published a scientific evidence-based position on antibiotic use in endodontic infections. The aim of this study was to analyze the antibiotics prescription habits of Spanish endodontists in the management of endodontic infections, comparing them with those they had 10 years ago, to assess the impact of the ESE awareness campaign and position statement on antibiotics in endodontics.
Material and Methods: One hundred Spanish endodontists were requested to answer to a one-page survey, similar to that used previously ten years ago in another study, on indications for systemic antibiotics in the management of endodontic infections. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test. Seventy-seven endodon- tists (77%) completed satisfactorily the survey and were included in the study.
Results: The average duration of antibiotic therapy was 5.64 ± 1.75 days. In patients with no medical allergies, 97.1% selected amoxicillin as the first-choice antibiotic. The first drug of choice for patients with an allergy to peni- cillin, was clindamycin 300 mg (74.03%). For cases of pulp necrosis with asymptomatic apical periodontitis, fistu- lous tract and mild/symptomatic symptoms, 100% of endodontists would prescribe antibiotics. For the scenario of a pulp necrosis with symptomatic periodontitis apical and no swelling, 20% endodontists would prescribe antibiotics.
Conclusions: Antibiotics prescription habits of Spanish endodontists has improved after the ESE awareness cam- paign and position statement on antibiotics in endodontics. Even so, there are a percentage of professionals that still prescribe antibiotics erro-neously.
