Management of medical emergencies in orthodontic practice

The aims of this study were to survey the occurrence of acute medical situations in Dutch orthodontic practice and to examine the self-perceived competence of orthodontists in managing acute medical emergencies.

A self-designed questionnaire was distributed among all 149 Dutch orthodontists attending the spring meeting of the Dutch Society for Orthodontists. The questionnaire was divided into three parts, addressing background information of the orthodontist, precautions against and experiences in acute medical situations, and self-perceived competence of nine common medical emergencies. The statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test and a multiple logistic regression analysis.

The response rate was 74.5% (105 out of 149). The male to female ratio in this population was 55:50. Mean age of all participants was 46.9 years (SD 10.4 years) with on average 16.7 years of working experience (SD 10.6 years). The most common medical emergency reported by Dutch orthodontists was vasovagal collapse (n = 219), followed by acute allergic reaction (n = 163) and hyperventilation (n = 83). On average, 75% (n = 79) of the orthodontists felt competent to handle any acute medical situation with an average occurrence of 0.36 acute medical emergencies per orthodontist per year. Male participants were more likely to send patients towards the emergency department (p = 0.049). Moreover, a statistically significant negative correlation was observed between self-perceived competence handling hypoglycemia and years of clinical experience. The longer orthodontists were clinically active, the less competent they felt when encountered with a hypoglycemia (p = 0.031).

Medical emergencies may be rare but challenging occurrences in the orthodontic practice. It is strongly recommended for all orthodontists and supporting staff to be trained regularly in the management of medical emergencies and to possess up-to-date evidence-based knowledge. Familiarity with and availability of appropriate drugs and equipment are deemed essential to the management of acute medical emergencies that may arise in the orthodontic practice.