Abstract
Fainting encountered as an episodic occurrence during ambulant dental treatment is an extremely unpleasant symptom for the patient. At the time of this attack, in general, along with a sensation of a falling elevator, the patient suddenly becomes pale, complaining of nausea, cold sweat, generalized muscle relaxation, fall of blood pressure and bradycardia. Consciousness is lost instantaneously, sitting position becomes unstable and the supine position is usually assumed. These general symptoms usually recover after about 20 minutes. During dental treatment, clinical observation was carried out from a psychosomatic viewpoint, both on fainters with past history of fainting and on fainters based on the method of classification of fainters and non-fainters by the Fainting-Questionnaire, which allowed pattern recognition of patients, employing two kinds of criteria for fainters. The following conclusions were drawn based on these results and discussions. Risk factors for fainting of fainters with history of fainting and fainters based on pattern recognition were greater than those of non-fainters without history of fainting and non-fainters based on pattern recognition. In the circumstances of the treatment room prior to the dental treatment, sympathicotonic state was seen in two kinds of male fainters, and parasympathicotonic state was seen in two kinds of female fainters. Two kinds of male and female fainters showed higher rise of catecholamines than two kinds of male and female non-fainters. Such sympathicotonic state appears to represent a risk factor for the fainting attack prior to dental treatment. Based on these results of observation, psychosomatic handling of the patient before dental treatment in the dental treatment room appears to be important as a preventive measure for the fainting attack.
