Recovery phase after dental intravenous sedation: airway vigilance should continue until discharge
Toru Yamamoto, Hiroko Kanemaru, Shigenobu Kurata, Yutaka Tanaka, Naotaka Kishimoto · 2026
Read Recovery phase after dental intravenous sedation: airway vigilance should continue until discharge by Toru Yamamoto, Hiroko Kanemaru, Shigenobu Kurata, Yutaka Tanaka, Naotaka Kishimoto (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13437171.txt.
Description
Toru Yamamoto and co-authors warn dentists that the recovery stretch after intravenous sedation deserves the same watchfulness as the procedure itself. Their 2026 letter draws on a Japanese case in which a 29-year-old man with intellectual disability seemed fine during treatment, then coughed, produced heavy secretions, and saw his oxygen level fall sharply. He needed pressure support, and chest imaging showed fluid in both lungs.
Recovery in a dental office differs from a hospital ward, the writers note. The airway stays unprotected and shares space with the work field, so saliva, blood, and rinse fluid can block breathing or trigger spasm. Staff attention also drifts toward notes, cleaning, and discharge once treatment ends. Negative pressure lung injury is rare, yet blocked airways during recovery can cause it. The letter urges teams to keep airway watch, suction, and rescue skills ready until each patient leaves.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Toru Yamamoto, Hiroko Kanemaru, Shigenobu Kurata, Yutaka Tanaka, Naotaka Kishimoto |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 8 KB |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |