Assessment of paramedics’ knowledge and skills on dealing with dental injuries

Authors

  • Bogumił Lewandowski Chair of Emergency Medical Service , Faculty of Medicine, the University of Rzeszów; Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Fr. Chopin Clinical Voivodeship Hospital in Rzeszów https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8045-5093
  • Robert Brodowski Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Fr. Chopin Clinical Voivodeship Hospital in Rzeszów
  • Wojciech Stopyra Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Fr. Chopin Clinical Voivodeship Hospital in Rzeszów
  • Marek Muster Chair of Emergency Medical Service , Faculty of Medicine, the University of Rzeszów
  • Andrzej Włodyka Chair of Emergency Medical Service , Faculty of Medicine, the University of Rzeszów
  • Małgorzata Migut Chair of Emergency Medical Service , Faculty of Medicine, the University of Rzeszów; Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Fr. Chopin Clinical Voivodeship Hospital in Rzeszów
  • Michał Leja Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Fr. Chopin Clinical Voivodeship Hospital in Rzeszów
  • Krystyna Wozniak Chair of Emergency Medical Service , Faculty of Medicine, the University of Rzeszów
  • Grzegorz Kucaba Chair of Emergency Medical Service , Faculty of Medicine, the University of Rzeszów

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15584/medrev.2016.3.4

Keywords:

dental injuries, first aid, paramedics’ knowledge

Abstract

Introduction: Traumatic teeth and mouth injuries constitute a fixed percentage of injuries. They occur as only dental injuries or accompany fractures of craniofacial skeleton or multiorgan injuries in the body.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the paramedics’ knowledge of first aid principles in cases of traumatic dental and masticatory system injuries.

Material and methods: A survey was conducted among 138 randomly selected paramedics employed in the Medical Rescue Teams and emergency departments in Rzeszów region, who were informed about the anonymous nature of the project. A voluntarily completed questionnaire was simultaneously assumed an informed consent to participate in the study. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. The first part covered respondents’ demographic and social data, while the second part focused on the first aid conduct in tooth injuries and included 18 questions.

Results: The results demonstrated that the paramedics’ knowledge of the conduct in cases of the most common dental injuries, ie. tooth knocking and dislocation, fracture of tooth crown or tooth root is unsatisfactory. Most of the respondents gave answers intuitively. Studies and statistical analysis did not confirm a significant correlation between subjects’ professional experience (p = 0.5891) and education (p = 0.1093) with their skills and knowledge of the proceedings after dental injuries. The fact that about 20% of the paramedics did not consider it necessary to broaden their knowledge in this subject seems distressing.

Conclusion: In the light of conducted research, systematic training in dental first aid in terms of proceeding in teeth injuries for paramedics seems justified as well as its inclusion in the curriculum of undergraduate programme for paramedics.

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Published

2016-10-01

How to Cite

Lewandowski, B., Brodowski, R., Stopyra, W., Muster, M., Włodyka, A., Migut, M., Leja, M., Wozniak, K., & Kucaba, G. (2016). Assessment of paramedics’ knowledge and skills on dealing with dental injuries. European Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 14(3), 287–299. https://doi.org/10.15584/medrev.2016.3.4

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 3 (2016): Medical Review

Section

ORIGINAL PAPERS

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