# Complete Oral Refusal in a Pediatric Patient Following General Anesthetic for Dental Surgery: A Case Report

## TL;DR

A child refused all oral intake for a week after dental surgery under general anesthesia, with no medical cause found.

## Contribution

Highlights a rare behavioral response to general anesthesia linked to anxiety and ARFID in pediatric patients.

## Key findings

- A five-year-old refused all oral intake, including saliva, for a week after dental surgery.
- No medical cause was identified, suggesting anxiety and ARFID as possible factors.
- The patient recovered after hospitalization and gradual reintroduction of eating.

## Abstract

This article presents a rare case of a five-year-old pediatric patient who refused all oral intake, including swallowing saliva, for 1 week following general anesthesia for dental surgery. The patient was hospitalized for further investigation and nutritional support. After an 8-day stay, the patient was discharged at their baseline condition, having gradually started eating with continuous encouragement. No underlying medical causes were identified. The patient had a history of anxiety before the surgery, and this case highlights the critical role of addressing anxiety in postoperative care, as well as the possibility of this behavior being a rare manifestation of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).