MANAGEMENT OF MEDICAL EMERGENCIES IN DENTAL PRACTICES-AN AUDIT

Abstract

Objective: To assess the knowledge, preparedness and practices of the dental practitioners to recognize and manage medical emergencies occurring in their dental practices.

Study design: Descriptive; Cross-sectional Study

Place and duration of study: Carried out in 126 clinics of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) registered dentists in Rawalpindi/Islamabad over a period of 06 months from September 2009 to March 2010.

Subjects and methods: A questionnaire and an observation Proforma were used for data collection. The questionnaire and observational proformas were distributed among 160 randomly selected dental clinics by the authors out of which 126 completed performas and questionnaires were
returned. Collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 17.

Results: Majority (73.8%) of the dental practitioners believed that they were appropriately trained either in their undergraduate or postgraduate training in recognition of medical emergencies. However most of these clinicians felt that they were not adequately trained in the management of these emergencies and only 29.4% of the dentists had taken Basic Life Support courses. A good number of the dental clinics had little or no equipment or medicaments for management of common medical emergencies. Only 49.6% of the dental practitioners claimed that they were satisfied with their preparedness regarding management of medical emergencies.

Conclusion: Good majority (73.8%) of our dental practitioners are able to recognize medical emergencies, however, their resourcefulness in terms of their management is seriously lacking.