다운증후군 환자의 전신마취 하 치과치료

DENTAL TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH DOWN SYNDROME UNDER GENERAL ANESTHESIA

Background: Down's syndrome, or trisomy 21, is the commonest congenital chromosome anomaly. With improvement in medical care, these patients increasingly reach adulthood in spite of their physical maldevelopment and mental retardation. And, the number of those who required general anesthesia for dental treatment is increasing. Methods: We reviewed the 26 cases of 22 patients with Down's syndrome who underwent outpatient general anesthesia for dental treatment at the clinic for the disabled in Seoul National University Dental Hospital. Results: The mean age was 22 years. They all had severe mental retardation and some had congenital heart anomaly, epilepsy, hypothyroidism, acute leukemia, autism, cleft palate, and chronic renal failure. For anesthesia induction, 4 cases was needed physical restriction, but others showed good or moderate cooperation. Drugs used for anesthesia induction was thiopental (17 cases) and sevoflurane (9 cases). All patients received nasotracheal intubation and 3 cases needed difficult airway management. Mean total anesthetic time was $166{\pm}60$ min and staying time at PACU was $92{\pm}48$ min. There was no death or long term hospitalization because of severe complications. Conclusion: If general anesthesia is needed, pertinent diagnostic tests and workup about anomaly, and appropriate anesthetic planning are essential for safety.