John S. Robinson

Physiological Responses to Intermittent Methohexitone for Conservative Dentistry

Intermittent methohexitone for conservative dentistry has been shown to cause clinically undetectable respiratory obstruction, depression of the laryngeal reflex, and arterial hypoxaemia. Because of the pronounced decrease in total peripheral resistance, the blood pressure was maintained only by large increases in cardiac output. Furthermore, the output of the heart could not increase when challenged by hypoxia.

Physiological responses to intravenous diazepam as a sedative for conservative dentistry.

The physiological responses to intravenous diazepam and oral local analgesia for conservative dentistry have been assessed in 16 patients. Apart from a transient tachycardia during actual administration of the drug, no clinically significant changes occurred in the haemodynamic, respiratory, or metabolic status of the patients. In some patients there was a period of incompetence of the laryngeal closure reflex.