A Pilot Study of Preparedness for Medical Emergencies in Urban Private Dental Practices in Malaysia
10.21315/aos2019.14.2.355
- Author:
Nalisha Mohamed Ramli
1
Author Information
1. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Pathology and Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Collective Name:Nor Azura Ahmad Tarmidzi; Ahmad Dzulfikar Samsuddin; Nurul Izza Idaham, Ahmad Zharif Ibrahim
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Dental practice;
emergency drugs;
emergency equipment;
medical emergencies;
private dental practice.
- From:Archives of Orofacial Sciences
2019;14(2):99-111
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to obtain data of medical emergencies at the non-hospital based private dental
practices in Petaling district of Selangor, Malaysia. Ninety out of 281 identified main practitioners of
non-hospital based private dental practices had agreed to participate. A standardised questionnaire
forms consisting of four parts including demographic data, emergency equipment and drugs available,
occurrence of medical emergencies and training of dental practitioners. All data retrieved were analysed
using the Statistical Programme for Social Science (SPSS) version 22.0 (SPSS Inc., 1999). Some of the
clinics (28.9%) had reported experiencing medical emergencies events. The most common emergency
event noted was syncope (42.2%), followed by hypoglycaemia (27.7%). Majority of the events occurred
in the dental surgery room (84.3%), after completion of treatment (31.3%) and were associated with
dental extraction procedures (61.4%). Only nine of the clinics (3.3%) were equipped with emergency
trolley and none were prepared with a defibrillator or automated external defibrillator (AED).
It was also found that 32.3% of all clinics do not have any emergency drugs. All of the practitioners
received basic life support training before graduation and 52.2% received supplementary training after
graduation. In conclusion, emergency medical events do occur, but majority of dental practices involved
in this study were not well equipped to manage these emergencies. It is important to have a standardised
national guideline to ensure a safe and well-prepared dental setting during any adverse medical events.
- Full text:2.2019my01771.pdf
