Cognitive competencies on antibiotic prophylaxis of infective endocarditis in dentistry students

Introduction: Infective endocarditis is a potentially life-threatening disease that can be caused by dental treatment. Therefore, dental surgeons should have basic knowledge about the prevention of infective endocarditis. Objective: To determine the level of knowledge of antibiotic prophylaxis of infective endocarditis prior to dental procedures in undergraduate and postgraduate students of stomatology at the Universidad Cientifica del Sur, Lima-Peru. Method: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was designed with a sample of 74 undergraduate and 234 graduate students of the Universidad Cientifica del Sur Stomatology career in 2019. A questionnaire previously validated in Peru was used, consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions, and divided into 4 dimensions (epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, indication, and pharmacology of antibiotic prophylaxis of infective endocarditis). The results were categorized into low, regular, and high levels of knowledge. Results: 73.1% of the students presented a low level of global knowledge, while 23.7% presented a regular level, and 3.2% a high level. The average score was 8.71 ± 2.78 [95% CI 8.40 to 9.10]. Undergraduate students had a score of 8.64 ± 2.72 [CI 95% 8.01 to 9.26] and graduate students; 8.74 ± 2.80 [CI95% 8.38 to 9.10]. Conclusion: The level of knowledge of antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of infective endocarditis prior to dental procedures was predominantly low in undergraduate and postgraduate students.