National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
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NICE to review its guidance on the use of antibiotics to prevent infective endocarditis

NICE has announced it is to review immediately its 2008 guideline which recommended that antibiotics should not be prescribed to prevent infective endocarditis. The review will focus on new research published yesterday at a meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago. It suggests the number of people developing the potentially fatal condition has increased following publication of NICE’s guidance.

Infective endocarditis is a potentially fatal infection of the endocardium (heart lining), particularly the heart valves.

Professor Mark Baker, Director of the Centre for Clinical Practice at NICE, said:“We will immediately look in detail at data published yesterday that shows an increase in the number of cases of infective endocarditis. However, as the authors of the study acknowledge, it’s far from clear if there is a link between the rise in cases and publication of the NICE guidance in 2008 recommending that people at risk of infective endocarditis should not be prescribed prophylactic antibiotics.

“For example, the incidence of infective endocarditis had been going up even before our guidance was published and the reasons for this are still not known. It’s also unclear why the increase in the number of cases has not been matched by a corresponding increase in the number of deaths.

“But where new evidence has called into question the safety of current guidance, it is right that we review that guidance as quickly as possible.

“We will explore thoroughly the new data and assess what impact, if any, it will have on our guidance. In doing so we will need to consider what is the balance between any potential benefits in increasing antibiotic prophylaxis and potential risks of increasing anaphylaxis and antibiotic resistance. Importantly, we will also look at what other factors could be accounting for the rise in the number of people being diagnosed with infective endocarditis. In the meantime the current NICE guidance should continue to be followed.”  

For more information call the NICE press office on 0300 323 0142 or out of hours on 07775 583 813.

About NICE

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for driving improvement and excellence in the health and social care system. We develop guidance, standards and information on high-quality health and social care. We also advise on ways to promote healthy living and prevent ill health.

Our aim is to help practitioners deliver the best possible care and give people the most effective treatments, which are based on the most up-to-date evidence and provide value for money, in order to reduce inequalities and variation.

Our products and resources are produced for the NHS, local authorities, care providers, charities, and anyone who has a responsibility for commissioning or providing healthcare, public health or social care services.

To find out more about what we do, visit our website:www.nice.org.uk and follow us on Twitter: @NICEComms.

 

Channel website: https://www.nice.org.uk/

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