ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cardiovascular responses of cardiac transplant recipients to dental local anaesthetic solutions with and without epinephrine (adrenaline). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A clinical study employing 30 patients (20 cardiac transplant recipients and ten healthy) awaiting gingival or minor oral surgery under local anaesthesia receiving either 4.4 ml lidocaine (lignocaine) with 1:80,000 epinephrine or 4.4 ml 3% prilocaine with 0.031 U/ml felypressin. RESULTS: Cardiac transplant patients experienced a significant tachycardia 10 minutes after injection of the epinephrine-containing solution. No significant change in heart rate was detected after the injection of an epinephrine-free solution. Blood pressure was not affected. Periodontal surgery did not affect the responses to the local anaesthetics in the transplant recipients. CONCLUSIONS: The cardiovascular response to dental local anaesthesia in cardiac transplant recipients is governed by the solution injected.
