Emergency Management Readiness of Pakistani Dentists at Public Sector Teaching Hospitals

ABSTRACT Background: Medical emergencies during dental treatment need to be appropriately equipped to deal with multiple chronic diseases in medically compromised patients. A well-prepared dental team can prevent stress-related medical emergencies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the readiness of dentists in managing medical emergencies, while comparing between postgraduate interns and registered dental graduates, working at a public sector hospital. Methods: The study was conducted in three constituent dental colleges and affiliated hospitals of Dow University of Health Sciences situated in Karachi from January-March 2021. A 28-item validated questionnaire was piloted and designed to assess 250 dentists and interns in managing medical emergencies. For data analysis, responses of a three-point Likert scale related to knowledge was used, while a dichotomous scale was used for diagnosis and management and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Out of 250 dentists, 208(83%) responded to the questionnaire. Most of the participants 200(96%) of the participants were taking medical histories and 149(87%) were routinely taking vital signs before dental treatment. We found that 62(42%) lacked adequate training for managing medical emergencies. Dental interns had more experience to deal with medical emergencies and were better prepared than general dentists. Conclusion: Most of the participants lacked training in medical emergencies encountered in dental clinics. Concrete measures are needed to address this issue at a national level. Evidence-based recommendations, regular training, drills, and certification are needed to prepare the future dentist to deal with medical emergencies. Keywords: Emergencies; Dental Clinics; Hospitals.