title: Complications of local anaesthesia. An observational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Local anaesthesia is increasingly used by dental hygienists. As little is known about the incidence of adverse effects during and after the administration of local anaesthetics, we evaluated side-effects associated with local anaesthesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective observational study was conducted using standard criteria among a group of 103 patients receiving mandibular block anaesthesia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physical reactions like clenching fists (14.5%), moaning (12.6%) and turning pale (7.8%) were frequently observed. Patients (3.8%) showed a painful reaction because of needle contact with a nerve or the periosteum. Systemic complications were not observed. After the injection, 41.7% said they felt tense during the administration; 4.9% of the patients reported swallowing problems and 3.9% a tachycardia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that administration of local anaesthesia has a small risk of adverse events. Complications, if they occur, seem minor and transient in nature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands. hs.brand@vumc.nl
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bekker
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Baart
mesh_terms: D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000009:adverse effects; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D014705:Verbal Behavior
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local