A survey of general anaesthesia, sedation and resuscitation in general dental practice

Abstract

The Poswillo Report, published in 1990, made recommendations regarding general anaesthesia (GA), sedation and resuscitation in dentistry. The aims of the present study were to examine the level of provision of GA and sedation by general dental practitioners (GDPs) a few years after the publication of the report, and to estimate the degree of compliance of GDPs with a number of its principal recommendations. In May 1994, a questionnaire was sent to 268 GDPs in two Scottish Health Boards, and a response rate of 80% was achieved. Thirteen per cent of respondents had treated GA cases during 1993-94 while 18% indicated that they had stopped providing a GA service since the immediate pre-Poswillo years. However, 91% had referred some patients elsewhere for treatment under GA. There was very little evidence of a replacement of GA by sedative techniques. The percentages of respondents using inhalation or intravenous sedation during the previous year were 9% and 27%, respectively. Almost all of the respondents reported that they had been trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and 60% stated that resuscitation exercises were practised at least once a year. While over 80% of the practitioners indicated that their dental surgeries stocked the emergency drugs recommended in the Poswillo Report, 12% expressed concern regarding the length and content of the drug list.