IADR Abstract Archives
Assessing the Occurrence of Patients’ Agitation During Pediatric Oral Sedation Using Electronic Health Records
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of agitation in routine pediatric oral sedation procedures in an academic dental clinic. A university-based dental Electronic Health Records (EHRs) database was used to assess safety and quality issues related to pediatric oral sedation.
Methods: As a part of a larger study, we conducted a retrospective analysis of pediatric oral sedations performed in a dental school clinic. The BigMouth database was screened for patients younger than 18 years old who had dental sedations during 2019. The qualifying EHRs were then accessed, and all oral sedations were reviewed. While the primary outcome analysis was focused on the incidence and nature of adverse events occurring during oral sedation, this research focused on patients’ agitation. Agitation was defined as any documented manifestation of discomfort, stress, and anxiety including but not limited to mood changes, irritability, restlessness, and combativeness occurring during oral sedation.
Results: A total of 360 oral sedations were reviewed, yielding 228 agitation cases. 36% (n=82) of agitations resulted in documented suspension of dental treatment. 23% (n=51) of agitations were associated with provider’s perceived difficulty to deliver care despite completion of the planned dental treatment. Overall, one out of five oral sedations failed because of the patient’s behavior not allowing any dental treatment during oral sedation, and one out of seven oral sedations were deemed ineffective by the provider delivering dental care.
Conclusions: In this study, a significant proportion of the sedated children experienced agitation during oral sedation. Agitation interfered with the delivery of dental procedures resulting in delays in dental treatment impacting children, families, and providers. Future research should investigate the impact of patient’s agitation during oral sedation on the quality and timeliness of oral care delivered.
Methods: As a part of a larger study, we conducted a retrospective analysis of pediatric oral sedations performed in a dental school clinic. The BigMouth database was screened for patients younger than 18 years old who had dental sedations during 2019. The qualifying EHRs were then accessed, and all oral sedations were reviewed. While the primary outcome analysis was focused on the incidence and nature of adverse events occurring during oral sedation, this research focused on patients’ agitation. Agitation was defined as any documented manifestation of discomfort, stress, and anxiety including but not limited to mood changes, irritability, restlessness, and combativeness occurring during oral sedation.
Results: A total of 360 oral sedations were reviewed, yielding 228 agitation cases. 36% (n=82) of agitations resulted in documented suspension of dental treatment. 23% (n=51) of agitations were associated with provider’s perceived difficulty to deliver care despite completion of the planned dental treatment. Overall, one out of five oral sedations failed because of the patient’s behavior not allowing any dental treatment during oral sedation, and one out of seven oral sedations were deemed ineffective by the provider delivering dental care.
Conclusions: In this study, a significant proportion of the sedated children experienced agitation during oral sedation. Agitation interfered with the delivery of dental procedures resulting in delays in dental treatment impacting children, families, and providers. Future research should investigate the impact of patient’s agitation during oral sedation on the quality and timeliness of oral care delivered.