Abstract

SWANEPOEL, S; MERBOLD, KH  and  PARBHOO, T. Access to emergency drugs and equipment among South African dentists. S. Afr. dent. j. [online]. 2025, vol.80, n.3, pp.149-156. ISSN 0375-1562.  https://doi.org/10.17159/sadj.v80i03.18798.

INTRODUCTION: General dental practitioners must be proficient In using emergency drugs and equipment during medical emergencies. Concerns persist about the adequacy of South African general dental practitioners' emergency supplies AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate South African general dental practitioners' access to emergency drugs and equipment and develop a medical emergency drug and equipment list for practitioners METHODS: A prospective mixed-methods study employed a Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Beliefs (KAPB) survey among South African general dental practitioners. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and frequency distributions in Microsoft® Excel® RESULTS: Emergency services were available to only (n=237, 65.8%) of participants. Sphygmomanometers were available to (n=180, 50%), with limited access to automated external defibrillators (n=38, 10.6%). No tranexamic acid was available to any participant and aspirin was accessible to (n=161, 44.7%). Oxygen supplies were recorded as (n=106, 29.4%) and (n=132, 36.7%) had access to EpiPens®. Reliance on external services (n=46, 35.1%), financial constraints (n=39, 29.8%), drug expiration (n=26, 19.8%), negligence (n=37, 13.7%), lack of confidence (n=18, 13.7%) and maintenance challenges (n=5, 3.8%) hindered procurement of emergency supplies CONCLUSION: South African general dental practitioners lack confidence in using emergency drugs and equipment, hindered by complacency and cost-related concerns. This article proposes an emergency drug and equipment list, and incorporates a dental emergency flowchart for general dental practitioners

Keywords : General dental practitioners; medical emergency management; emergency drugs and equipment; preparedness.

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