Self-Reported Preparedness and Perceived Challenges in Managing Medical Emergencies Among Dentists at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana: A Cross Sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: Medical emergencies in dental settings are uncommon but potentially life-threatening, and the response depends on practitioner training, institutional protocols and available equipment. Little has been published on these elements in Ghanaian dental services. This study described self-reported emergency encounters, training status, protocol awareness, equipment availability and perceived challenges at one tertiary facility.

Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Oral Health Directorate, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi. All 78 dentists on the roster were approached (attempted census); 62 returned completed self-administered questionnaires over 14 consecutive working days (response rate 79.5%). All variables were categorical, summarised as frequencies and percentages. Associations of rank and years of practice with formal emergency-management training status were examined using χ ² tests with Yates' correction and Fisher's exact test with odds ratios (ORs).

Results: Percentages denote the proportion of 62 respondents reporting each multiple-response item, not the frequency of events among patients. Hypoglycaemia (87.1%) and syncope (79.0%) were most often reported as ever encountered, then asthma attack (69.4%), seizures (62.9%) and anaphylaxis (48.4%). Thirty-six (58.1%) reported formal training, 22 (35.5%) a written protocol and none an automated external defibrillator (AED). Training was reported more often by senior than junior dentists (69.2% vs. 39.1%; p = 0.040; OR 3.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-10.29); the association with years of practice was borderline and test-dependent (Yates-corrected p = 0.052; Fisher's exact p = 0.039; OR 3.20, 95% CI 1.12-9.15). Commonest challenges were inadequate equipment (87.1%), lack of training (72.6%) and no clear protocol (69.4%).

Conclusion: Two in five dentists reported no formal emergency-management training, most were unaware of a written protocol, and none reported access to an AED. These self-reported, single-centre findings suggest that periodic training, written protocols and verified equipment stocks merit institutional attention; confirmation in larger multi-centre studies is needed.