A coroner has told the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to take action to “prevent future deaths” relating to its guidance on preventing infective endocarditis after highlighting inconsistencies with advice to dentists.1
The coroner’s prevention of future deaths report was issued to NICE on 29 April after the death of a 79 year old patient, Michael Briggs, who had complications arising from a dental extraction procedure. Briggs had developed infective endocarditis after the procedure, a condition for which he was considered at increased risk of developing because of his bioprosthetic aortic valve.
NICE guidance does not routinely recommend antibiotic prophylaxis against infective endocarditis for patients …