Medical Emergencies · single question
The same child receiving chemotherapy is at greatest risk of which complication following dental treatment?
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Correct answer: A. Infection
- A. ✅ CORRECT — Chemotherapy-induced MYELOSUPPRESSION causes neutropenia, and a neutropenic child cannot mount a normal inflammatory response. Odontogenic infection can progress rapidly to bacteremia and sepsis. Mucositis compounds the problem by breaching the mucosal barrier.
- B. ❌ Malignant hyperthermia is a pharmacogenetic reaction to volatile anesthetics and succinylcholine, unrelated to chemotherapy.
- C. ❌ Ankylosis follows traumatic injury with replacement resorption; it is not a chemotherapy complication.
- D. ❌ Osteoradionecrosis follows RADIATION to the jaws, not chemotherapy.
Note: Also expect: mucositis, xerostomia, spontaneous gingival bleeding from thrombocytopenia, candidiasis and herpetic reactivation.
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