The Oley Foundation Antibiotic Prophylaxis for TPNers Undergoing Dental and Other Procedures Suzanne Treen, PharmD Candidate Many dental, surgical and diagnostic procedures involving the mucosal surfaces lead to bacteria in the bloodstream that rarely lasts more than 15 minutes.
Symptoms usually develop a couple of days to two weeks after the procedure.
Bacterial seeding is most common with dental procedures, including cleaning, and less common with gastrointestinal diagnostic procedures. Because of the potential dangers, TPN consumers should discuss this issue with their physician before undergoing any dental, surgical and other procedures. To reduce the potential for bacterial seeding, the best possible oral health should be maintained. This requires daily brushing, flossing and fluoride rinsing, and a chlorhexidine gluconate mouth rinse before a dental procedure. Antibiotics are also recommended for all dental procedures, including cleanings.