Infectious complications of dental procedures in dogs and cats, and the impact of antimicrobial prophylaxis: a systematic review.

Evidence insufficient to support antimicrobial prophylaxis recommendations for dental procedures in dogs and cats.

This systematic review examined infectious complications following dental procedures in dogs and cats, and evaluated antimicrobial prophylaxis efficacy. The authors found a pooled bacteraemia prevalence of 47% post-dental procedures; however, no studies clearly reported incidence of sepsis or infective endocarditis. Two controlled studies failed to demonstrate clear association between dental procedures and bacteraemia development. Critically, bacteraemia was not linked to clinical consequences, though evidence certainty was very low. No studies evaluated peri-procedural antimicrobial impact on endocarditis, sepsis, or other infectious complications. The two studies examining antimicrobial effects on bacteraemia had bias concerns and very low certainty ratings. No data assessed post-procedural antimicrobial efficacy. The authors concluded that evidence is severely limited, representing a major research gap for this common patient population and preventing development of evidence-based guidelines for peri-procedural antimicrobial administration in small animal dentistry.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.