Joanna Laskowska, Natalia Kaczorowska, Anna Maria Paradowska Stolarz

Medications used for general anesthesia during dental procedures in children
2022-08-29

Abstract. In the past years, scientific reports present statements of an increase in dental caries among children all over the world. This condition is influenced by dietary habits, among them the presence of sugars in the diet and improper oral hygiene. The increase of tooth decay in children under the age of six, resulting in severe teeth decay, corresponds to the frequency of general anesthesia in the treatment of pediatric patients. Dental treatment is one of the most common causes of medication intake in children. Moreover, general anesthesia enables timely and effective comprehensive care, which is a crucial condition in patients with special treatment needs.

Purpose of work. This work aims to raise awareness that the knowledge of medications used by anesthesiologists during anesthesia is important in order to achieve and maintain a high-quality standard for patients undergoing dental procedures under general anesthesia.

Material and methods. Until February 2022, an electronic search was completed in PubMed, The Cochrane Database, and the Web of Science. The authors reviewed the literature taking into account all types of comparative studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses relating to the problems of drugs used in general anesthesia during dental procedures in children.

Results. The publication presents important information on general anesthesia and the characteristics of individual groups of drugs, considering the substances used by anesthesiologists.

Conclusion. In the opinion of the authors, the presented work is a compendium of knowledge in the field of anesthesiology for dentists performing procedures under general anesthesia in children, dentists preparing to perform such procedures, and doctors who receive patients with special dental needs, whose treatment is possible only under general anesthesia. In addition, the authors would like to draw attention to the legitimacy of the cooperation of doctors and pharmacists to create a higher degree of awareness of the role of each profession and the possibility of improving the treatment outcomes of patients.

Keywords: general anesthesia in children, anesthesiology, anesthetics, child dentistry.

© Farm Pol, 2022, 78 (6): 344–351