Hypoxaemia during paediatric dental anaesthesia in the community.
The object of this paper is to measure the incidence of hypoxaemia during paediatric dental anaesthesia in the community and thus support or refute the recommendations for monitoring in the Poswillo report. Fifty unpremedicated children, ASA grade 1, between the ages of 2 and 16 years undergoing general anaesthesia for teeth extraction were studied. Patients were anaesthetised with a standard anaesthetic which consisted of 30% oxygen in 70% nitrous oxide and supplemented with halothane. A pulse oximeter was used to measure the oxygen saturation continuously. A 12% incidence of hypoxaemia was recorded and a 32% incidence of a 5% fall in the oxygen saturation from the baseline. Three children became hypoxaemic during the operative period and three during the recovery period. Although the incidence of hypoxaemia in this study was significantly lower than in previous studies, the incidence suggests that careful monitoring is essential and the recommendations that have been put forward in the Poswillo report are fully justified.
Department of Anaesthesia, Blackburn Royal Infirmary.
D
D
Patel
G W
GW
Hamlin
D000293:Adolescent; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003149:Community Dentistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010092:Oximetry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D006113:United Kingdom