Although gagging is a frequent problem that, when severe, can jeopardize the dental procedure, no single protocol is used to alleviate this phenomenon. Selective 5-HT3 antagonists, such as granisetron, may attenuate gagging. In this study, granisetron and placebo were administered intravenously, in a crossover, double-blind manner, to 25 healthy volunteers in 2 different sessions. Gagging levels were recorded before and after administration, as were BP, pulse, and O2 saturation. Recorded results were analyzed with the use of tests for nonparametric values (P = .05). A significant increase in the depth of swab insertion was noted after administration of both placebo and drug. The increase in drug effectiveness correlated with decreased body weight. The true efficacy of granisetron in gagger patients with this treatment protocol has yet to be fully established, although it has been theorized that an increased dosage of granisetron may have a better effect.Abstract
The change in swab insertion depth was measured following administration of drug (black) and placebo (grey). The figure shows that both drug and placebo caused a significant increase in the volunteer's handling of the swab insertion.
Depths of swab insertion in male (a) and female (b) volunteers following drug (black) and placebo (white) administration. The females, who received higher dosages because of lower body mass, showed a more significant increase in drug action contrary to placebo.
A logarithmic reduction of changes in depth following administration of drug and placebo shows a positive trend in the increase of drug efficacy correlated with the increase in dosage per kilogram. The placebo does not follow the same trend. The increase in drug effectiveness is best seen in doses greater than ∼45 µg/kg.
Subtraction of the placebo effect from the drug effect shows that in females, whose average weight was lower (and thus the dosage per kilogram was higher), a significant increase was seen in drug efficacy proportional to the increase in dosage per kg (P < .031).
Contributor Notes
Address correspondence to Dr Eliezer Kaufman, Department of Oral Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, POB 12272, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel, e-mail: ekaufman@cc.huji.ac.il
eISSN: 1878-7177
ISSN: 0003-3006