Background: Although medical emergencies among dental patients are not frequent, several factors may provoke sudden cardiac arrests. Early initiation of high-quality chest compressions (CC) is of crucial importance for the safety and effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Aims: We aimed to evaluate the quality of chest compressions performed on a dental chair for the proposed procedure in case of cardiac arrest in a dental office. Methods: We designed a prospective, randomized, crossover simulation study. Sixty paramedic students were randomly assigned to the control group, in which resuscitation was performed on the floor (n = 30) or to the experimental group, in which compressions were performed on a dental unit (n = 30). We used a simulator that recorded number of compressions, rate, depth of compressions and chest recoil. Results: There were no significant differences in numbers, rate, depth of chest compressions or in chest recoil between groups. Conclusions: We proved that performing chest compressions on a dental chair might be as effective as on the floor. On this basis, we propose a procedure for safe and efficient performance of CPR in a dental office.
Medical emergencies in the dental office