Role of general health care providers in referring patients with odontogenic infection

ABSTRACT

To highlight the role of general health care providers in referring patients with odontogenic infection. This study was carried out at two teaching Dental Colleges simultaneously, the departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Hamdard University Dental Hospital, and Fatima Jinna 1 Dental College Hospital Karachi. A total of 108 cases were managed for clinically diagnosed fascial space infect from March 2004 to August 2006. From the total of 108, 76 patients were managed at Hamdard University w as 32 patients were managed at Fatima Jinnah Dental College Hospital respectively. The referral inform, I was extracted from the referral letter and patient interview [history and examination]. In cases where referral lettrs were not present the referral source was recorded as "self referral". The mean age of the sample was recorded as 26.7 years with minimum age .1d maximum age 63 years. In all, 64.8% patients were male and 35.2% patients were females with MF ratio of 1.81. The referred cases accounted for 59.3% excluding the self referred cases. Most referrals were recorded from medi and surgical specialists [25%], followed by general medical practitioners [24.1%], and general dental practitioners [10.2%]. Self referrals accounted for 40.7% of the sample. Oro-facial infections occur in sites that lend themselves to early detection by most health-care providers and, to a certain extent also, by self-examination. These study findings raise the concern that lack of patient awareness and its associated inappropriate clinical management should be aimed at formulating referral guidelines for the GDP and the GMP to provide guidance for a detailed clinical examination of the oro-facial region, and to decide the need for urgent referral to the specialist Especially if severe fascial space infection is anticipated particularly in patients having compromised host defenses associated with poor oral health