Antoine Giraudon1, Guillaume de Saint Maurice2, Matthieu Biais3, Dan Benhamou4, Karine Nouette-Gaulain3. 1. Anesthesia and Critical Care Department 3, centre hospitalier universitaire de Bordeaux, place Amélie-Raba-Léon, 33076 Bordeaux, France. Electronic address: antoine.giraudon@chu-bordeaux.fr. 2. Hôpital d'instruction des armées Percy, 101, avenue Henri-Barbusse, 92140 Clamart, France. 3. Anesthesia and Critical Care Department 3, centre hospitalier universitaire de Bordeaux, place Amélie-Raba-Léon, 33076 Bordeaux, France. 4. Service d'anesthésie-réanimation chirurgicale, hôpital de Bicêtre, 78, rue du Général-Leclerc, 94275 Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Dental injury is the most common incident associated with anaesthesia. Regarding recent recommendations on informed consent and changes in airway management practices, a large series of claims related to dental injury has not been recently described. The aim of this study was to analyse a recent database in order to describe the characteristics of dental injury in France. METHODS: A database that prospectively collected claims reported to Le Sou Médical-MACSF between January 2003 and December 2010, was analysed. Five hundred and ninety-two cases were reported. The following characteristics were analysed: number and type of teeth injured, mechanism of injury, anaesthetic procedure, risk factors and dental outcome after injury. RESULTS: Amongst the 1514 claims related to anaesthesia, 592 (39.2%) were classified as dental damage. Preoperative informed consent concerning possible perioperative dental injury was documented in only 34.8% of patients. Only one tooth was affected in 65.2% of patients, dental bridge injury in 12.8% of cases and damage to two or more teeth in 14% of patients. Incisors were involved in 50% of cases. Fracture was the most common type of injury (64.2%). Poor dentition was the most common risk factor (23.1%) followed by difficult intubation (15.4%). Both risks were combined in only 7.6% of cases. Tracheal intubation was the highest risk procedure (41.6%). CONCLUSION: Dental injury remains the most common anaesthesia-related claim. Dental examination and documentation in patient medical files requires improvement and better informed consent on dental injury risk needs to be provided to patients.
INTRODUCTION:Dental injury is the most common incident associated with anaesthesia. Regarding recent recommendations on informed consent and changes in airway management practices, a large series of claims related to dental injury has not been recently described. The aim of this study was to analyse a recent database in order to describe the characteristics of dental injury in France. METHODS: A database that prospectively collected claims reported to Le Sou Médical-MACSF between January 2003 and December 2010, was analysed. Five hundred and ninety-two cases were reported. The following characteristics were analysed: number and type of teeth injured, mechanism of injury, anaesthetic procedure, risk factors and dental outcome after injury. RESULTS: Amongst the 1514 claims related to anaesthesia, 592 (39.2%) were classified as dental damage. Preoperative informed consent concerning possible perioperative dental injury was documented in only 34.8% of patients. Only one tooth was affected in 65.2% of patients, dental bridge injury in 12.8% of cases and damage to two or more teeth in 14% of patients. Incisors were involved in 50% of cases. Fracture was the most common type of injury (64.2%). Poor dentition was the most common risk factor (23.1%) followed by difficult intubation (15.4%). Both risks were combined in only 7.6% of cases. Tracheal intubation was the highest risk procedure (41.6%). CONCLUSION:Dental injury remains the most common anaesthesia-related claim. Dental examination and documentation in patient medical files requires improvement and better informed consent on dental injury risk needs to be provided to patients.