Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The potential for a medical emergency to occur during dental treatment must be met by dental practitioners who are competent to manage such situations. However the literature shows that not all dentists have received training in this area, and of those who have, many are deficient in knowledge, skills and confidence. The objective of this study was to examine the perceptions of final year Jordanian dental students regarding their education and preparedness to manage medical emergencies.METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional, descriptive study which gathered questionnaire data from an undergraduate student cohort at two Jordanian universities. Descriptive analysis of the data was undertaken, and a Chi-squared test was used to explore the relationships between participants’ responses and the variables of gender and previous attendance at any ME workshop. Statistical significance was deemed at p<.05.RESULTS: Three hundred and seventy dental students responded to the questionnaire with response rates of 76.2% and 81.8% from the two sites. The results indicate that not all of the students had received training in medical emergency management, and their self-reported proficiency and experience was sub-optimal. However, participating in a workshop on managing medical emergencies was associated with changes in some skills and experiences.CONCLUSION: The low levels of medical emergency management knowledge and skills in the final year dental students reflects the situation reported in existing literature. This study indicates the importance of effective medical emergency management training within the dental undergraduate program, and may be used to inform future curricula planning.
Highlights
As the global population continues to age, both the proportion and absolute number of older people are increasing (World Health Organization, 2015)
The low levels of medical emergency management knowledge and skills in the final year dental students reflects the situation reported in existing literature
This study indicates the importance of effective medical emergency management training within the dental undergraduate program, and may be used to inform future curricula planning
Summary
As the global population continues to age, both the proportion and absolute number of older people are increasing (World Health Organization, 2015). This worldwide change in demographic profile of the population increases the likelihood that dental patients will present with more complex medical histories, thereby increasing the potential for medical problems to occur during dental care (Little, Miller, & Rhodus, 2018). The combination of an aging patient profile, multi-morbidity and medications taken results in an increasingly medically complex patient cohort, thereby necessitating that dentists are prepared to identify and manage medical emergencies (MEs). Dental procedures such as anaesthesia or surgery may increase the possibility of a ME occurring in predisposed patients (Laurent et al, 2009)
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