Our Experience in Oral Treatment of Handicapped Children and Young People by the Application of General Anaesthesia

Abstract

Budući da je postojala niska razina stomatološke skrbi za djecu s teškoćama u razvoju na području današnje Splitsko-dalmatinske županije, 70-ih godina prošloga stoljeća počelo se sustavno školovati kadrove i osiguravati im prostor i opremu. Većina populacije koju smo obrađivali sastojala se od djece i mladeži s teškoćama u razvoju smještene u odgovarajućim ustanovama ili kod svojih roditelja uglavnom s navedenoga podruja. Stomatološku sanaciju uglavnom je obavljao temeljni tim liječnika specijalista sastavljen od pedodonta, oralnog kirurga i anesteziologa sa suradnicima. Njima su se po potrebi pridruživali ostali stomatolozi specijalisti. Sve naše bolesnike tretirali smo u općoj inhalacijskoj anesteziji uz nužnu kliničku i laboratorijsku obradbu, te uz pismeni pristanak roditelja ili skrbnika. U minulih dvadeset godina stomatološki smo obradili 680 pacijenata. U prosjeku smo obrađivali 3 pacijenta po operativnom danu. U početku su prevladavali konzervativno-protetski zahvati, a poslije su bili češći konzervativno-restorativni. Iz našega iskustva metodu endotrahealne anestezije smatramo vrlo prihvatljivom za djecu i mladež s teškoćama u razvoju.Because of the low level of dental care for handicapped children in the Split-Dalmatian district systematic training of staff and procurement of space and equipment was initiated during the 1970s. The majority of the population treated consisted of handicapped children and young people, in relevant institutions or with their families, mainly from this area. A team of specialists, consisting of a pedodontist, oral surgeon, anaesthesiologist and co-workers usually performed dental treatment. When necessary they were joined by other dental specialists. All our patients were treated under general inhalation anaesthesia with the necessary clinical and laboratory tests and written consent of the families or guardians. During a period of twenty years 680 patients were treated. We treated three patients on average in one operative day. Initially the operations were conservative-prosthetic operations, and later this changed to more frequent conservative-restorative procedures. From our experience we consider that the method of endotracheal anaesthesia is particularly suitable for handicapped children and young people