Local Anesthetics Allergies in Children

Local anesthetics are used to provide effective analgesia for many dental, surgical, and dermatologic procedures. Local anesthetics constitute the most commonly used drug group in dentistry.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of skin tests with local anesthetics and to investigate the factors associated with these results in patients in the Faculty of Dentistry who were referred to allergy specialists due to a history of allergy. We aimed to evaluate the results of the test with local anesthetics in patients with a history of atopy.

The results of prick and intradermal tests with local anesthetics of patients in whom surgery could not be performed due to their or their relatives’ allergic disease and who were sent to allergy outpatient clinic for testing with the local anesthetics that were planned for use in the Faculty of Dentistry between December 2017 and December 2018 were analyzed.

Eighty-two patients were tested with local anesthetics. In 71 (86.5%) of these patients, no allergy was detected as a result of prick test and subsequent intradermal test. In the study group, prick test was positive in 1 patient (intradermal test was also found positive in this patient), and the intradermal test was found positive with 1:100 concentrations in 11 (13.4%) patients.

Test positivity with local anesthetics was not significant in patients with history of drug allergy, and history of allergy with local anesthetics. Intradermal test positivity was found to be statistically significant in asthma patients. Treatment should be initiated before dental intervention in atopic patients after having the necessary consultations, and treatment should be initiated with local anesthetic agents associated with fewer reactions in emergency situations in risky patients.