A randomised trial of calcium alginate swabs to control blood loss in 3-5-year-old children.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the effectiveness of calcium alginate swabs and traditional cotton swabs in the control of blood loss after extraction of deciduous teeth from healthy children, aged 3-5 years, under general anaesthetic.


METHODS
Prospective, randomised clinical trial.


METHODS
General anaesthetic suite in a dental teaching hospital.


METHODS
101 patients were recruited to the study, comprising 50 randomised to be treated with cotton swabs and 51 with alginate swabs.


METHODS
Teeth were extracted under general anaesthesia and blood collected for measurement in order to compare blood loss using the two systems.


METHODS
The number of teeth extracted ranged from 1-14. The total blood loss ranged from 0.53-78.13 ml with a median of 12.9 ml.


CONCLUSIONS
Calcium alginate swabs were not found to produce any clinical or statistical advantage over traditional cotton swabs in this surgical setting.
Henderson
N J
NJ
Eastman Dental Institute for Oral Health Care Sciences, London.
Crawford
P J
PJ
Reeves
B C
BC
D000464:Alginates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000379:methods; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001810:Blood Volume; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019140:Dental Care for Children; D004395:Dye Dilution Technique; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D003368:Gossypium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006488:Hemostasis, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006490:Hemostatics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D006801:Humans; D006472:Oral Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015503:Surgical Sponges; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014092:Tooth Root
D000464:Alginates; D006490:Hemostatics; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020723:Glucuronic Acid