Three Serious Drug Interactions that Every Dentist Should Know About.

Article Details

Citation

Hersh EV, Moore PA

Three Serious Drug Interactions that Every Dentist Should Know About.

Compend Contin Educ Dent. 2015 Jun;36(6):408-13; quiz 414, 416.

PubMed ID
26053779 [ View in PubMed
]
Abstract

Patients with complex medical and drug histories are becoming more commonplace in dental practice. This article reviews three serious adverse drug interactions that are well supported by the literature and can impact dental practice. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit the renal excretion of lithium and lead to lithium toxicity. Metronidazole and fluconazole inhibit the metabolism of warfarin by blocking cytochrome P-450 2C9 (CYP-2C9), the major metabolic pathway of warfarin, with the end result being dramatic increases in patients' international normalized ratios (INRs) and potentially fatal bleeding. Propranolol and other nonselective beta-adrenergic blocking agents can inhibit the vasodilatory effect of epinephrine in dental local anesthetic solutions, leading to hypertensive reactions and a concomitant reflex bradycardia. It is important for clinicians to recognize and avoid these serious drug interactions. By doing so, they will provide the safest and best treatment for their patients.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Drug Enzymes
DrugEnzymeKindOrganismPharmacological ActionActions
MetronidazoleCytochrome P450 2C9ProteinHumans
Unknown
Inhibitor
Details