Abstract

LIMA, Francisco Jadson et al. Alterations in the blood pressure of patients undergoing a biopsy in the oral cavity. Arq. Odontol. [online]. 2010, vol.46, n.4, pp. 208-212. ISSN 1516-0939.

A biopsy is a simple procedure routinely performed by dentists and doctors; however, it tends to create great anxiety and fear in the patients involved. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of alterations in blood pressure in 63 patients who had undergone a biopsy in the oral cavity between the months of October 2008 to November 2009. Monitoring the blood pressure of these patients was performed using a sphygmomanometer during the first clinical examination, in the moments of pre-biopsy and post-biopsy, and the date recorded on previously prepared cards. Eighty five percent of the patients were females, between 51 and 60 years of age. Eighteen percent of the patients reported taking medication to control their blood pressure. Forty six percent of the sample reported being afraid of the biopsy procedure. The most commonly performed biopsy was the excisional biopsy (78%). The most commonly observed variation in blood pressure was the increase in systolic and diastolic pressures, especially between the clinical exam stages and post-biopsy moments (33.3%). At the pre-and post-biopsy moments, a greater prevalence of the maintenance of both systolic and diastolic pressures could be observed (38%). A large number of patients underwent a biopsy with alterations in blood pressure at various stages of the procedure. This fact calls for special attention from health professionals regarding blood pressure during this complementary exam.

Keywords : Neoplasms; Anxiety; Hypertension.