Medical emergencies in general dental practice in Great Britain. Part 2: Drugs and equipment possessed by GDPs and used in the management of emergencies

Abstract

Objective: To ascertain the emergency drugs and equipment possessed by general dental practitioners (GDPs), the treatment provided and drugs used in management of the medical emergency events they reported.

Design: Postal questionnaire survey of a random sample of GDPs in Great Britain.

Subjects: 1500 GDPs, 1000 in England & Wales and 500 in Scotland.

Results: There was a 74% response. An aspirator, an airway, oxygen, adrenaline and an injectable steroid were possessed by about 90% of respondents; glucose, glyceryl trinitrate and a salbutamol inhaler by about 80%. Glucose was used in management of nearly one in ten of the events reported, an inhaler, glyceryl trinitrate and oxygen were the next most commonly used. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was carried out in management of 1.1-1.4% of events not associated with general anaesthesia (GA) and in 4.7-16% of events associated with GA, an average of once in 250 years of practice.

Conclusions: Most respondents possessed drugs and equipment necessary to manage a medical emergency. Half the drugs recommended by the 'Poswillo report' to be available in every dental practice were not used in more than 8000 years of practice.