Retrospective analysis of the effect on vital signs of using local anesthesia during dental procedures on patients with epilepsy

Abstract

Aim: In our study, we investigated the effects of local anesthesia on pediatric epileptic patients’ vital signs (temperature, oxygen saturation, pulse, and blood pressure) before, during, and after application. Methodology: Epileptic patients needing dental treatment who applied to the Department of Pedodontics in the Faculty of Dentistry at Necmettin Erbakan University between January 2021 and July 2022 were included in the study. After clinical and radiographic examination, Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Medical Faculty Pediatric Neurology Department was sent for consultation. Temperature, oxygen saturation, pulse, and blood pressure data were collected before, during, and after anesthesia in 39 procedures performed on 19 patients. Before data analysis, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Shapiro–Wilk tests were applied to test the normality of distribution. A paired sample t-test was used to examine the fever, pulse, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation levels of the participants before, during, and after anesthesia. Statistical significance was indicated when p < 0.05. Results: We found a statistically significant difference between the participants’ pulse measurements during anesthesia and their pulse measurements post-anesthesia (p = 0.049). There was also a statistically significant difference between the participants’ pre-anesthesia oxygen saturation measurements and their pre-anesthesia oxygen saturation measurements (p = 0.042). Finally, we found a statistically significant difference between the participants’ pre-anesthesia oxygen saturation levels and their post-anesthesia oxygen saturation levels (p = 0.012). Conclusion: In patients with a history of epilepsy, attention should be paid not only to the anesthetics used during dental procedures but also to the consequences of dental anxiety. Dental treatments should be planned with the necessary precautions. How to cite this article: Özer H, Abaklı İnci M, Özaşık HN. Retrospective analysis of the effect on vital signs of using local anesthesia during dental procedures on patients with epilepsy. Int Dent Res 2022;12(Suppl.1):44-49. https://doi.org/10.5577/intdentres.444 Linguistic Revision: The English in this manuscript has been checked by at least two professional editors, both native speakers of English.