Local Anaesthetics Combined with Vasoconstrictors in Controlled Hypertensive Patients Undergoing Dental Procedures: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The aim of this systematic review is to assess the safety of local anaesthetics (LA) combined with vasoconstrictors (VC) for patients with controlled hypertension undergoing dental procedures. A comprehensive search strategy were used to identify all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effect of LA combined with VC. All searches covered the period from 1990 to February 2021. We performed a meta-analysis using random-effect models and assessed overall certainty in evidence using GRADE approach. Our search strategy yielded 1262 references. Finally, seven randomised trials were included, but only three were included in the meta-analysis. The use of LA with VC may result in little to no difference in the heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), but the certainty of the evidence was assessed as low. Death, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, need for hospitalization, pain and bleeding were not reported by the included studies. The hemodynamic changes using VC do not imply an increased risk of occurrence of adverse cardiovascular events. The use of VC could even be recommendable considering their multiple advantages.