A model for investigating the systemic effects of adrenaline in dental local anaesthetic solutions in patients under surgical stress.

A model has been developed which permits the investigation of the systemic effects of adrenaline injected during dental local anesthesia. The model employs patients undergoing the removal of third molars under general anaesthesia. This design allows the study of the effects of exogenous adrenaline administration in clinical doses in patients experiencing surgical stress. In the present investigation the influence of the intra-oral injection of 50 micrograms adrenaline contained in lignocaine local anaesthetic solution on haemodynamic and biochemical responses was established by comparing the effects of inferior alveolar block injections of 4 ml 2% lignocaine and 4 ml 2% lignocaine with 1:80,000 adrenaline in 20 patients having third molars removed with a standardised general anaesthetic regime. No significant changes in haemodynamic responses between treatments were apparent, however significant changes occurred between treatments in blood glucose and plasma potassium levels.