Vol. 8, Issue 1, Part G (2022)

Assessment of preparedness of dental clinics for medical emergencies

Author(s):

Renuka Nagarale, Mandar Todkar, Moosani Mohd Arman, Saif Momin, Sheetal Khillare and Qurratulain Rizvi

Abstract:
Introduction: Medical emergencies are inevitable in clinical dental set-up. They put the well-being of patients at risk. If addressed properly, severity of such episodes can be brought down significantly. So the aim of this study was to assess the preparedness of dental Practitioners to manage medical emergencies in dental clinics.
Materials and Method: This cross-sectional survey was done among 150 graduate and postgraduate Practitioners. The participants filled self-administered questionnaire consisting of 23 close-ended questions. Descriptive analysis using Chi-square test was done to compare two groups. P-value of <0.5 was considered as statistically significant.
Result: Amongst 150 participants, around three-fourth of study participants have encountered medical
emergency during clinics. Around three-fourth of Practitioners has received theoretical training but still majority of participants feel they are incompetent to handle medical emergencies. Most of them are willing to undergo proper training to handle medical emergencies and also support the addition of separate ALS and BLS course. Majority of PGs and three-fourth graduates knew how to perform BLS, CPR but administration of IM, IV and SC injections were known to less than one-third of Practitioners.
Conclusion: Dental professionals should be confident and prepared to deal with medical emergencies arising during their practice. Reforms in dental curriculum and thorough training of dental Practitioners at an initial stage will help to increase their confidence and competence to deal with medical emergencies.

Pages: 450-455  |  1065 Views  394 Downloads

How to cite this article:
Renuka Nagarale, Mandar Todkar, Moosani Mohd Arman, Saif Momin, Sheetal Khillare and Qurratulain Rizvi. Assessment of preparedness of dental clinics for medical emergencies. Int. J. Appl. Dent. Sci. 2022;8(1):450-455. DOI: 10.22271/oral.2022.v8.i1g.1461