ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND
Medical emergency is an important health concern as it poses a serious threat to life. Since the establishment of modern dentistry in Nigeria, there has been the concern of adequately managing emergencies in dental settings and in turn improve the quality of the health care system.16 This study sought to determine the prevalence of medical emergencies experienced by dentists in dental clinics (private and government owned) and their roles in managing the situation.
AIM
To determine the prevalence of medical emergency in dental clinics in Benin City and the role the dentists played in managing the situation, so as to aid in planning and effective management of medical emergencies in this area of study.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a consecutively recruited convenience sample of 194 dentists working in private and government owned dental clinics in Benin City. The data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 and Microsoft office excel.
RESULT
Of the 194 respondents, there were more females (58.2%) than males (41.8%). 93.8% were from teaching hospitals, 2.1% worked in general hospital, while 4.1% worked in private dental clinics. About 48.4% of the respondents reported having encountered any episodes of medical emergencies. Vasovagal syncope was the most common medical emergency experienced by 48.4% of the dentists, followed by hypoglycemia (47.9%). 42.6% handled the emergencies themselves, while 57.4% required assistance from a physician. Only 15% were able to perform CPR. More than 70% had IV cannulas, syringes, adrenaline, hydrocortisone and IV dextrose. More than one-fourth of them were either not confident or unsure of their competence to use the emergency kit.
CONCLUSION
The study revealed that medical emergencies, although less frequently encountered in dental clinics in Benin City as compared to other regions reviewed in the study, were encountered by almost half of the study population. A large proportion of dentists were not competent to handle medical emergency conditions, limiting their roles in the management.
