National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) Practice Exam

What can hemorrhage during injection or surgery lead to concerning anesthetic solutions?

1. Increased pain

2. Parathesia

3. Allergic reaction

4. Systemic toxicity

The correct answer is: Parathesia

When considering the implications of hemorrhage during injection or surgery, it is essential to understand how such bleeding can affect the delivery and effectiveness of anesthetic solutions. When there is hemorrhage, it can lead to a compromise in the vascular supply of the area being anesthetized. This can result in inadequate delivery of the anesthetic agent to the nerves, potentially causing unintended sensory disturbances like paraesthesia. Paraesthesia involves abnormal sensations, such as tingling or prickling, and can occur when the anesthetic is not adequately administered due to the presence of blood obstructing the area or altering the intended pharmacokinetics of the anesthetic solution. As a result, the patient may experience altered sensations which can be concerning for both the patient and the dental professional. The other options—such as increased pain, allergic reaction, and systemic toxicity—while relevant considerations in a dental procedure, do not directly correlate with the specific effects that hemorrhage during injection or surgery would lead to concerning anesthetic solutions. Increased pain would typically suggest inadequate anesthesia, but paraesthesia is more directly linked to the complication of hemorrhage altering the anesthetic's effectiveness. An allergic reaction would occur irrespective of hemorrhage, and systemic toxicity generally involves overdose or incorrect application of anesthetic rather