Impact of cannabis use on anesthetic requirements during common oral procedure
Cannabis use may increase the dosage of anesthetics needed during third-molar extraction.
In a prospective study published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, researchers examined the relationship between cannabis use and total milligrams of propofol required among nearly 50 participants older than 21 years scheduled to undergo third-molar extraction under intravenous general anesthetic.
The researchers found that the mean cannabis exposure years was about 56. Following adjustment for confounders, they identified a statistically significant association between cannabis exposure years and total milligrams of propofol. The participants who had two to three or more years of cannabis consumption and used the drug multiple times per day were classified as high risk for requiring the administration of higher doses of propofol, while those with two to three years of infrequent cannabis use were classified as moderate risk and those with less than two to three years of infrequent cannabis use were classified as low risk.
The researchers indicated that the participants in the high-risk cannabis use group were more likely to require more intravenous general anesthetics during third-molar extraction. For instance, compared with those who did not use cannabis, patients in the high-risk cannabis use group required 55% more anesthetics.
In a news article from the Dental Tribune reporting on the findings, the researchers argued the importance of conducting preoperative assessments to understand a patient’s history of substance use and better prepare for the need to administer greater doses of intravenous general anesthetics among chronic cannabis users when performing oral surgery.
Read more: Dental Tribune
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