February 2020
By Dr Spyros Papacharalambous
On 14 and 15 February 2020, a two-day educational seminar titled “Emergency Situations in the Dental Office” was held at the University of Nicosia.
The seminar was organised by the Cyprus Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the Greek Scientific Association of Oral Surgery under the auspices of the Cyprus Ministry of Health and with the support of the University of Nicosia Medical School.
The seminar’s theoretical section covered cases requiring urgent treatment, the evaluation of the main signs and symptoms in such cases, the necessary drugs, instruments and materials, the techniques of parenteral administration of drugs with emphasis on the intravenous method, the removal of foreign bodies from the upper respiratory tract, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and defibrillator use. It also covered the prevention of adverse conditions in the Dental Clinic, such as bleeding, allergic shock, heart attack, diabetic coma, epileptic seizure, etc.
The practical section included a demonstration of first aid pharmacy, practical training in the removal of a foreign body from the upper respiratory tract, practical training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, practical training in the use of defibrillator and practical training in intravenous drug administration. See the programme of the seminar here
Over one hundred dentists, doctors, as well as students participated in the seminar and had thorough theoretical and practical training on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) manikins, Intravenous (IV) cannula arms, and Automated External Defibrillators (AED).
All participants’ comments were very positive, and demonstrated the need for organising such educational events in Cyprus.