Assessment of knowledge, performance, instruments and drugs used during medical emergencies in Yazd dental offices in 2014

The manner in which a dentist manages medical emergencies in dental offices depends on the dentist''s knowledge and the instruments and drugs available when emergencies arise. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, practice, instruments and drugs available and used during medical emergencies in Yazd dental offices in 2014. In this cross-sectional study, 100 general dentists were selected in Yazd by simple random sampling. The dentists filled out a researcher-designed questionnaire. Data were analyzed by independent t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and ANOVA using SPSS 21 (α=0.05). Maximum and minimum job experiences ranged from 1 to 34 years. Mean knowledge score was 77±16; mean performance score was 70±21; mean number of drugs used was 5±2; and the mean of emergency equipment was 2±1. The mean scores of knowledge and performance of female subjects were significantly higher than those of males (p value < 0.001). There was a significant and positive correlation between the knowledge and performance of dentists in medical emergencies (p value = 0.001, r = 0.52). There was a significant but inverse relationship between age and knowledge score (p<0.001, r = -0.43), age and performance score (p value = 0.001, r = -0.60), and work experience and knowledge score (p value = 0.001, r = -0.59). However, there was no correlation between knowledge and the number of drugs used (p value < 0.06, r = -0.56), knowledge and the number of equipment pieces (p value = 0.16, r = 0.13), performance score and the number of drugs used (p value = 0.26, r = 0.01), and the performance score and the number of equipment pieces used (p value = 0.26, r = 0.01). Dentists in Yazd had proper knowledge and performance in medical emergencies; however, it is necessary to update and develop awareness about emergency situations, especially in senior dentists who have graduated many years ago.