Background Medical emergencies in dental offices are considered a problem in most countries owing to dentists' concerns about emergency preparedness, practical skills, lifesaving equipment and staff availability. The prevalence of medical emergencies in dental offices and dentists' preparedness have been analysed in several countries but have never been studied in Poland. Aim To assess the prevalence of medical emergencies in dental offices in Poland, as well as dentists’ preparedness and attitudes towards medical emergencies. Methods An 18‐item questionnaire was completed by 419 dentists. It asked for information on their cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, availability of emergency medical equipment in the dental office, prevalence of medical emergencies and self‐assessed competence in various dental office emergencies. Data were analysed using the Statistica 13.3 software package. Variability was measured with standard deviation. Pearson's linear correlation coefficient was used to determine correlation strength. Results The most common medical emergencies in Polish dental offices were vasovagal syncope (46.30% of study participants experienced at least one case in the preceding 12 months), orthostatic hypotension (18.85%), hyperventilation crisis (18.61%), mild allergic reactions (16.23%), hypoglycaemia (15.99%) and seizures (11.81%). The prevalence of medical emergency situations requiring an emergency medical service call or medical assistance within the preceding 12 months was 0 for 80.66% of dentists, one for 12.65%, two for 4.53%, three for 1.20%, four for 0.48%, 5–10 for 0.48% and more than 10 for 0%. As many as 41.29% of the participants did not feel competent in managing sudden cardiac arrest, 74.47% in managing hypertensive crisis, 55.61% in managing asthma, 55.13% in managing anaphylactic shock and 52.99% in managing seizures. Conclusion The prevalence of medical emergencies in dental offices in Poland is comparable with that in other countries. A large number of dentists do not feel competent enough to manage medical emergencies. Better undergraduate and postgraduate training in medical emergencies is recommended, as well as broader availability of emergency medical equipment in the dental office.

Dental hygienists in Poland work in various settings, including public health care institutions, private dental practices, dental clinics, kindergartens, and schools. They can often face medical emergencies, whose rate is increasing owing to comorbidities and aging of dental patients’ populations. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of medical emergencies in dental hygienists’ practice in Poland and the hygienists’ preparedness and attitudes toward emergencies. A 10-question authors’ own questionnaire was filled in by 613 dental hygienist. It referred to their cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, availability of emergency medical equipment in the workplace, the prevalence of medical emergencies including the need for an emergency medical service (EMS) call, and the management of cardiac arrest. Overall, 613 dental hygienists working in Poland participated in the study; 38.99% had taken part in basic life support (BLS) training within the previous 12 months and 35.89% within 2 to 5 years; 15.17% had experienced at least 1 emergency situation requiring an EMS call within the previous 12 months. Vasovagal syncope was the most common medical emergency (15.97%), followed by moderate anaphylactic reaction (13.87%), seizures (8.81%), hyperventilation crisis (7.50%), and hypoglycemia (7.34%). The most common medical emergency in dental hygienists’ practice in Poland is syncope followed by mild anaphylactic reaction. Most of the dental hygienist had participated in a BLS course within the previous 5 years; however, 20% of them have never participated since graduation. Dental hygienists should participate in BLS courses every 2 years to keep the cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills and stay up-to-date with current guidelines. An important part of the study participants declare the lack of availability in their workplaces of life-saving equipment, including self-expanding bag resuscitator, oropharyngeal, and supraglottic airway device and oxygen source. Medical emergency equipment as recommended in the international guidelines should be available in every practice.

inTroducTion: Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening medical emergency condition requiring immediate diagnosis and implementation of proper treatment. For the medical personnel facing a patient suspected of anaphylaxis, the necessary rapid initial management includes removing the allergen, calling for help, clearing the airway, laying the patient, and administering adrenaline in an intramuscular injection and oxygen. Airway management, intravenous access, and intravenous fluid challenge, as well as chlorphenamine and hydrocortisone injection, are also suggested if the medical personnel has appropriate skills and equipment available. Many studies emphasize that dentists feel inadequately trained to recognize and treat medical emergencies in dental offices, which especially refers to anaphylaxis. The aim of the study was to assess the dentists' preparedness, knowledge, and attitudes with regard to anaphylaxis in dental offices in Poland. MeThods: The study was conducted between November 2016 and November 2017 during scientific meetings and congresses in Poland. The participants (Polish dentists) received information on the study objectives and voluntarily took part in the questionnaire survey. The questionnaire included 20 items concerning age, gender, work experience, specialization, latest training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, onset time of allergic reaction, stridor, first line pharmacological treatment, route of administration and doses of adrenaline in different age groups, other medications recommended in anaphylaxis.