ABSTRACT
A medical emergency among dental patients can be encountered anytime. It is the responsibility of a dentist to handle the emergency in order to effectively manage it. The assessment of preparedness of medical emergencies would help to bring about required changes in the curriculum in dental institutions. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the knowledge of common medical emergencies among undergraduate and postgraduate students. Methods: A questionnaire based study with a sample size of 200 was conducted among 100 postgraduate and 100 undergraduate students at Kothiwal Dental College and Research Centre to evaluate their knowledge regarding medical emergencies. The questionnaire consisted of thirteen questions. Chi-square test was applied for comparing various parameters between dental postgraduates and undergraduates regarding preparedness for medical emergencies. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The results of this study showed that filling health history proforma, recording vital signs, attending workshops on emergency management, performing Basic Life Support, and administering an intramuscular and intravenous injection has statistically significant results among postgraduate and undergraduate students. Conclusion: The results of this study reflect an alarming situation of the capability of dental students to deal with medical emergencies at dental offices.