Appropriate consent and referral for general anaesthesia - A survey in the Paediatric Day Care Unit, Barnsley DGH NHS Trust, South Yorkshire

Abstract

Background: In November 1998 the General Dental Council introduced guidelines for dental practitioners when referring a patient for general anaesthesia (GA). The practitioner is required to explain the risks associated with GA and the alternatives, give a detailed medical history and a clear justification for providing GA in the letter of referral. Method: A survey was administered on 202 parents or guardians, which aimed to investigate whether they felt that their dental practitioners had advised them of any risks of GA prior to referral. A record was also made if any reasons were given for the provision of GA in the letter of referral. Results: The majority of the parents or guardians (66%) felt that they were not informed of any of the risks of GA and 25% felt that they were. From the letters of referral, 37% contained a reason for GA and 63% did not give any reason or justification for GA. Conclusion: There is evidence that referring practitioners do not adequately explain the risks of the anaesthetic to parents or guardians of children undergoing GA. There is also a lack of clear justification in the letters of referral for providing GA. Practice implication: It is essential that the alternatives and the risks of GA are discussed and if GA is still required, a clear justification should be contained in the letter of referral as part of informed consent. More importantly the referring practitioner should keep a contemporaneous record of this, preferably with a signature from the parent or guardian on agreement of referral.