Intellectual disability is a risk factor for delayed emergence from total intravenous anaesthesia

The use of general anesthesia for dental treatment of children with special healthcare needs in Alberta, Canada

BACKGROUND

Children with special healthcare needs (SHCN) often require specialized interventions due to their disabilities. Dental general anesthesia (DGA) is a treatment modality, which improves their access to care but concerns about repeated DGAs persist.

AIM

This study investigated DGA utilization in children with SHCN and identified factors associated with multiple DGAs in Alberta, Canada (2010-2020).

DESIGN

This retrospective population-based study used administrative data encompassing all children (<18 years) undergoing DGA in publicly funded facilities. Children were identified as SHCN based on their diagnosis codes and categorized into behavioral/psychiatric disorders, mental/intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, systemic conditions, syndromes/congenital anomalies, physical-mental disabilities, and disabilities with medical conditions.

RESULTS

This study analyzed 3884 DGA visits for children with SHCN, predominantly males aged 6-11 and from low-income families. Mental/intellectual disabilities were prevalent (31.8%), and autism was the leading disease. Caries was the primary dental diagnosis across all groups, whereas pulp problems were higher in psychiatric/behavioral disorders (23.6%), and periodontal problems were more common in physical-mental disabilities (13.2%). 28.7% had multiple DGAs, with younger age, disabilities with medical conditions, mental/intellectual disabilities, and initial pulp treatments, increasing the likelihood of multiple DGAs.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the importance of individualized prevention and less conservative treatments for younger children to reduce oral health disparities.

The Perioperative Anesthetic Management of the Pediatric Patient with Special Needs: An Overview of Literature

The perioperative management of pediatric patients with psycho-physical disorders with related relational and cognitive problems must be carefully planned, in order to make the entire hospitalization process as comfortable and as less traumatic as possible. This article reports an overview of the anesthetic management of non-cooperative patients between 6 and 14 years old. The pathologies most frequently responsible for psycho-physical disorders can be summarized into three groups: (1) collaboration difficulties (autism spectrum disorders, intellectual impairment, phobia); (2) motor dysfunction (cerebral palsy, epilepsy, other brain pathologies, neuromuscular disorders), and (3) craniofacial anomalies (Down syndrome, other genetic syndromes). Anesthesia can be performed safely and successfully due to careful management of all specific problems of these patients, such as a difficult preoperative evaluation (medical history, physical examination, blood sampling, evaluation of vital parameters and predictive indices of difficult airway) and the inapplicability of a "standard" perioperative path (timing and length of the hospitalization, anesthetic premedication, postoperative management). It is necessary to ensure a dedicated perioperative process that is safe, comfortable, tailored to specific needs, and as less traumatic as possible. At the same time, all necessary precautions must be taken to minimize possible complications.

Delayed awakening time from general anesthesia for dental treatment of patients with disabilities

Background

Patients with disabilities often require general anesthesia for dental treatment because of their cooperative or physical problems. Since most patients with disabilities take central nervous system drugs, the management of recovery status is important because of drug interactions with anesthetics.

Methods

The anesthesia records of patients under general anesthesia for dental treatment were reviewed, and data were collected. Healthy patients under general anesthesia for dental phobia or severe gagging reflex were designated as the control group. Patients with disabilities were divided into two groups: those not taking any medication and those taking antiepileptic medications. The awakening time was evaluated in 354 patients who underwent dental treatment under general anesthesia (92 healthy patients, 183 patients with disabilities, and 79 patients with disabilities taking an antiepileptic drug). Based on the data recorded in anesthesia records, the awakening time was calculated, and statistical processes were used to determine the factors affecting awakening time.

Results

Significant differences in awakening time were found among the three groups. The awakening time from anesthesia in patients with disabilities (13.09 ± 5.83 min) (P < 0.0001) and patients taking antiepileptic drugs (18.18 ± 7.81 min) (P < 0.0001) were significantly longer than in healthy patients (10.29 ± 4.87 min).

Conclusion

The awakening time from general anesthesia is affected by the disability status and use of antiepileptic drugs.

Dental treatment under general anesthesia for patients with severe disabilities

Patients with disabilities have difficulties tolerating in-office dental treatment due to limitations relating to cooperation and/or physical problems. Therefore, they often require general anesthesia or sedation to facilitate safe treatment. When deciding on dental treatment under general anesthesia, the plan should be carefully determined because compared to general patients, patients with disabilities are more likely to experience anesthetic complications because of their underlying medical conditions and potential drug interactions. Clinicians prefer simpler and more aggressive dental treatment procedures, such as extraction, since patients with impairment have difficulty maintaining oral hygiene, resulting in a high incidence of recurrent caries or restorative failures. This study aimed to review the available literature and discuss what dentists and anesthesiologists should consider when providing dental treatment to patients with severe disability under general anesthesia.

Multi-drug therapy for epilepsy influenced bispectral index after a bolus propofol administration without affecting propofol's pharmacokinetics: a prospective cohort study

Some previous studies have indicated that valproate (VPA) might change the pharmacokinetics and enhance the effects of propofol. We evaluated whether clinical VPA therapy affected the propofol blood level, the protein-unbound free propofol level, and/or the anesthetic effects of propofol in the clinical setting. The subjects were divided into the control group (not medicated with antiepileptics), the mono-VPA group (medicated with VPA alone), and the poly-VPA group (medicated with VPA, other antiepileptics, and/or psychoactive drugs). General anesthesia was induced via the administration of a single bolus of propofol and a remifentanil infusion, and when the bispectral index (BIS) exceeded 60 sevoflurane was started. There were no significant differences in the total blood propofol level at 5, 10, 15, and 20 min or the protein-unbound free propofol level at 5 min after the intravenous administration of propofol between the 3 groups. However, the minimum BIS was significantly lower and the time until the BIS exceeded 60 was significantly longer in the poly-VPA group. In the multivariate regression analysis, belonging to the poly-VPA group was found to be independently associated with the minimum BIS value and the time until the BIS exceeded 60. Clinical VPA therapy did not influence the pharmacokinetics of propofol. However, multi-drug therapy involving VPA might enhance the anesthetic effects of propofol.

Dental treatment under general anesthesia in adults with special needs at the University Hospital of Dental Prosthetics and Restorative Dentistry of Innsbruck, Austria: a retrospective study of 12 years

OBJECTIVES

Special needs patients are prone to insufficient oral care and subsequent caries or periodontitis. The aim of this retrospective study was the assessment of demand for restorative therapy and tooth extractions under general anesthesia in adults with intellectual and/or physical disablement (IPD) or psychiatric disorders (PDs) with inherent dentist phobia at the University Hospital of Innsbruck with regard to demographic factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 444 consecutive cases of scheduled dental general anesthesia (DGA) in adults from 2003 to 2014 were included. From patient files, demographic data, the presence of either IPD or a PD, attested by a mandatory certificate, and restorative therapy and tooth extractions performed under DGA were obtained. Data analysis was carried out by means of descriptive and comparative statistics.

RESULTS

Four hundred two cases (mean age 37.5 ± 13.87 years) assigned to 283 individuals with IPD and 42 cases (mean age 36.09 ± 13.03 years) assigned to 39 individuals with PDs arose in the observed period. Patients with PDs required significantly more restorations (in 7.98 ± 5.4 versus 5.34 ± 4.41 teeth; p = 0.002; Mann-Whitney U test) and extractions (of 4.86 ± 4.51 versus 2.6 ± 3.96 teeth; p < 0.001; Mann-Whitney U test) than patients with IPD.

CONCLUSIONS

Demand for dental treatment was high in the collective of special needs patients. Oral health status was worse in patients with PDs than in patients suffering IPD.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

While in patients with severe disablement, DGA presents the only treatment option, specific preventive programs should be implemented for patients with minor disablement or dentist phobia. In these patients, alternative approaches should be promoted.