Anaesthesia

Question 1

What is anaesthesia? (Dentistry)

Answer 1

Loss of pain sensation only

Question 2

How do anaesthetic relieve pain?

Answer 2

• block electrical transmissions from the source of the stimulation so that information that a painful procedure is being carried out does not reach the brain

Question 3

What do local anaesthetic drugs contain?

Answer 3

• anaesthetic
• sterile water
• buffering agents
• preservative
• vasoconstrictor

Question 4

What is the purpose of anaesthetic?

Answer 4

• block the electrical nerve transmissions to the brain so that neither pain nor temperature changes can be felt

Question 5

What is the purpose of sterile water?

Answer 5

• acts as a carrying solution for other constituents and makes up the bulk of the cartridge contents

Question 6

What is the purpose of buffering agents?

Answer 6

• maintains the contents of the cartridge at a neutral pH so it doesn’t irritate the soft tissues when they are injected

Question 7

What is the purpose of a preservative?

Answer 7

• give an adequate shelf life to the contents

Question 8

What is the purpose of a vasoconstrictor?

Answer 8

• prolong the action of the anaesthetic by constricting local blood vessels so that the solution is not carried away so quickly in the bloodstream

Question 9

What waste are local anaesthetic cartridges classified as?

Used & unused and out of date

Answer 9

Used:
- infectious hazardous waste

Used and out of date:
- non hazardous waste

Question 10

What are the common LA used in dentistry?

Answer 10

• lidocaine
• articaine
• citanest
• citanest plain
• mepivacaine

Question 11

What does lidocaine consist of?

Answer 11

• 2% lignocaine hydrochloride

- 1:80,000 adrenaline (epinephrine) as a vasoconstrictor

Question 12

What does articaine consist of?

Answer 12

• carticaine

- 1:100,000 adrenaline as a vasoconstrictor

Question 13

What does citanest consist of?

Answer 13

• 3% prilocaine hydrochloride

- 0.03 units/mL felypressin (octapressin) as a vasoconstrictor

Question 14

What does citanest plain consist of?

Answer 14

• 4% prilocaine hydrochloride

- no vasoconstrictor

Question 15

What does mepivacaine consist of?

Answer 15

• 3% mepivacaine hydrochloride

- no vasoconstrictor

Question 16

When can adrenaline be used?

Answer 16

• During anaphylaxis when the blood pressure falls to such low levels that the heart can stop beating.
• adrenaline will increase the rate of a patients heartbeat

Question 17

Local anaesthetic is dangerous for what kind of patients ?

Answer 17

• hypertension
• cardiac disease
• hyperthyroidism

Question 18

What is hypertension?

Answer 18

• high blood pressure

Question 19

What is cardiac disease?

Answer 19

• poor functioning of the heart whether due to valve defects or acquired problems such as coronary artery disease

Question 20

What is hyperthyroidism?

Answer 20

• an overactive thyroid gland which tends to increase the overall metabolic rate of the patient including heart rate