Complications associated with anesthesia administered for dental treatment

This assessment sought to identify and quantify complications that occur with anesthesia administration during dental treatment of consecutive patients who received care through the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine's (UPSDM) Department of Anesthesiology. This prospective study was completed by participating anesthesia caregivers at the UPSDM as a case-by-case evaluation. A standardized form delineating possible complications was used to collect data following 286 consecutive outpatient anesthetic cases administered within the UPSDM. After statistical analysis of five types of administered anesthesia, the overall complication rate was 22.4% in 286 cases. All of the complications were considered to be mild (90.6%) or moderate (9.4%); there were no reports of severe complications. The complications encountered most frequently were airway obstruction (18 reports) and occurrence of nausea/vomiting (12 reports). ASA classification, anesthetic technique, pre-existing medical findings, and the type of dental procedure performed all were variables that were found to affect the incidence of anesthesia-related complications. The overall complication rate from anesthesia administered during dental care is similar to or less than that reported within the hospital operating system environment.