Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-2022

Publisher

American Dental Education Association

Source Publication

Journal of Dental Education

Source ISSN

0022-0337

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1002/jdd.12888

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence, nature, and management of post-surgical emergency after-hours calls in a dental school setting with predoctoral students, graduate students/residents, and faculty providers.

Methods

A patient chart review (March 2018–February 2020) for post-surgical calls through the emergency after-hours pager system was conducted at the Marquette University School of Dentistry. The total number of surgical procedures, procedure type, the timing of call, operator experience, concern, and recommendation given during the call were documented.

Results

During the review period, 83 calls (from 75 patients) were recorded after 8,487 surgical procedures (1% of procedures). Patients called 5.4 ± 0.8 days postoperatively. Procedure type affected call prevalence (p = 0.04), with most calls made after extractions (69.9% of all calls; 1% of extractions; 58/5,725), implant placement (6%; 0.9% of implant placements; 5/530) and periodontal plastic surgery (6%; 3.1% of all plastic surgeries; 5/161). The most common concern was pain (72.3%), then swelling (36.1%), bleeding (12%), and infection (9.6%). Operator experience did not affect call prevalence. Recommendations given were next business day follow-up (79.5%), reinforcement of already given postoperative instructions (51.8%), prescription (15.7%), and hospital emergency department (ED) visit (7.2%).

Conclusions

Post-surgical emergency after-hours calls in a dental school setting occur within the first postoperative week and are rare, unrelated to operator experience, typically prompted by pain, and rarely resulting in referral to hospital ED. The use of a pager system is adequate for the management of after-hours emergencies and may reduce self-referrals to the hospital ED.

Comments

Accepted version. Journal of Dental Education, Vol. 86, No. 7 (July 2022): 814-822. DOI. © 2022 American Dental Education Association. Used with permission.

singh_15743acc.docx (127 kB)
ADA Accessible Version

Included in

Nursing Commons

Share

COinS