Dr. Alrouh AlSaadoon
Riyadh College of Dentistry and Pharmacy, KSA
Title: Awareness of methaemoglobinaemia risks associated with the use of topical anesthesia for teething
Biography
Biography: Dr. Alrouh AlSaadoon
Abstract
Background & Aim: Methaemoglobinaemia is a serious but rare complication associated with the topical application of local anesthetics, especially lidocaine in infants. Due to this risk in 2014, FDA banned the use of lidocaine as a topical anesthetic for teething. The aim of this study was to test the awareness of health professionals to the risks associated with topical anesthesia for teething among health professionals in Riyadh.
Method: A structured questionnaire was developed by consulting to an experienced pediatrician and pediatric dentist. Items were then analyzed to remove redundancies and checked for content validity. The finalized questionnaire was then tested for reproducibility. The final questionnaire comprised of four parts: The knowledge of teething, remedies used for teething, their opinion on the use of anesthetics for treating teething and the knowledge about methaemoglobinaemia. The questionnaire was administered to general dentists, pediatric dentists, pediatricians and pharmacists.
Results: The overall knowledge of teething was good among all four groups. Pediatricians and Pediatric Dentists had a good knowledge of methaemoglobinaemia. However, few respondents were aware of the FDI regulations. Among those who were aware of the potential toxicity of lidocaine, several were still willing to prescribe local anesthetics for the management of teething.
Conclusion: There is poor knowledge about the danger of using local anesthetic gels for teething.