Oral health knowledge of parents of children and adolescents with congenital heart disease

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the knowledge on oral hygiene, infective endocarditis, and antibiotic prophylaxis of parents of children and adolescents with heart diseases assisted at the Hospital Ana Nery (reference hospital), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 43 guardians of children and adolescents aged 2 through 16 years, performed with the application of a questionnaire. Results: In the sample of parents studied, 64% had completed high school and 47% had a monthly family income of up to one minimum wage. The majority (81%) reported knowing that oral infections may lead to heart complications, 42% knew that oralbacteria may migrate to the heart, and 51% knew the term infective endocarditis. When questioned about antibiotic prophylaxis, 93% had no knowledge about it and 88% did not know the reasons for using antibiotics before dental treatment. Conclusion: Parental knowledge was limited and fragmented. Further attention is required when transmitting information to parents, focusing on prevention strategies in order to guarantee the integral health of these children and adolescents.

摘要
研究目的：旨在评估巴西巴伊亚州萨尔瓦多市阿纳内里医院（定点转诊医院）就诊的心脏病儿童及青少年的监护人对口腔卫生、感染性心内膜炎（infective endocarditis）及抗生素预防性给药的认知水平。
研究方法：本研究为横断面研究，纳入43名2至16岁儿童及青少年的监护人，通过问卷调查方式开展调研。
研究结果：在受访的监护人样本中，64%已完成高中学业，47%的家庭月收入不超过当地1倍最低工资标准。多数受访者（81%）表示知晓口腔感染可引发心脏并发症，42%了解口腔细菌可迁移至心脏，51%知晓感染性心内膜炎这一术语。在抗生素预防性给药相关问题的调研中，93%的受访者完全不了解相关内容，88%不清楚牙科治疗前使用抗生素的原因。
研究结论：监护人的相关认知水平有限且零散。在向监护人传递健康信息时需给予更多关注，重点围绕预防策略展开，以保障此类儿童及青少年的整体健康。