Emergency response team activation in the outpatient clinic of a single dental teaching hospital in Korea: a retrospective study of 10 years' records

Abstract

BackgroundTo prepare for possible emergency situations during dental treatment, it is helpful to know how often and what kinds of emergencies may arise. This study set out to evaluate the incidences, causes, treatments, and outcomes of emergency situations in the outpatient clinic of a dental teaching hospital in Korea.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who had experienced an emergency situation and emergency response team activated in a selected outpatient clinic between November 2004 and November 2013. Specific information about the emergency cases was collected, including the patient characteristics and the frequency, types, treatments, and outcomes of the emergency situations.ResultsWe identified 35 instances of emergency situations in 2,890,424 patients (incidence = 0.012 per 10,000 outpatients). The number of cases was as follows: 10 (28.6%) in the Department of Periodontics, 10 (28.6%) in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 6 (17.1%) in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, 4 (11.4%) in the Department of Prosthodontics, 2 (5.7%) in the Department of Conservative Dentistry, 2 (5.7%) in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, and 1 (2.9%) in the Department of Orthodontics. Three (8.6%) of the emergency situations arose before treatment, 22 (62.9%) during treatment, 7 (20.0%) after treatment, and 2 (5.7%) in a patient's guardian.ConclusionsIn accordance with the growing elderly population and more aggressive dental procedures, the number of emergency situations may increase in the future. We recommend that clinicians keep in mind airway management and the active control of emergency situations.

Perfil de utilização de anestésicos locais de uma cidade brasileira com ênfase em diabéticos

“…Com base no risco gerado ao paciente pelo uso inadequado de anestésicos, estudos 6,9,19 relatam que conhecer os tipos e a frequência das emergências durante o tratamento odontológico ajuda o cirurgião-dentista a se preparar para possíveis intercorrências, sendo que fraqueza, sudorese, fome, nervosismo e perturbações visuais são os principais sintomas em pacientes hipoglicêmicos, e sonolência, hálito cetônico, polidipsia, poliúria, fadiga e náuseas são os sintomas mais comuns na hiperglicemia.…”

<p>Perioperative Medical Emergencies in a 23-Hour Surgical Procedure Unit</p>

“…This is further supported by the incidence rate of only 0.0012% in an outpatient procedural clinic of a major Korean dental hospital. 7 The physiological systems affected by the 45 MER/CB events include cardiovascular (66%), respiratory with reduced level of consciousness/sedation (9%), isolated neurological (24%). Hospital-wide medical emergency triggers based on USA data include cardiovascular 37.4%, respiratory 38%, neurological 30.7%.…”