Medical emergencies in university dental teaching centers of french hospitals

Objective: The aim of this study was to audit medical emergencies occurring in dental teaching centers and to describe equipments and protocols for their management. Indeed, we wanted to describe the formation of caregivers in the area of medical emergencies. Methods: This study was carried out from december 2007 to june 2008 in dental teaching centers of French hospitals. A questionnaire was sent to the chief of each department. The questionnaire concerned the available equipment, caregivers formation, medical protocols and the medical emergencies that occurred during one year. Results: Beyond the 32 dental centers, 28 answered the questionnaire. The analysis revealed a marked heterogeneity in the available equipment for management of medical emergencies. Most of the centers didn’t possess the recommended drugs or needed equipment, including defibrillators. Seventy five percents of health professionals didn’t have any training in the management of medical emergencies. Nearly half of the centers hadn’t defined any guideline for the alert of emergency service. A mean of 20 medical emergencies per year per center were declared. Most of them were benign vasovagal episodes, but some life-threatening emergencies were also reported. Conclusion: The medical emergencies incidence seems to be low in the dental teaching centers. Nevertheless, each center should possess appropriate training, equipments and procedures to manage it adequately.