Effectiveness of an Interdisciplinary Medical Hospital Admission Center: The Role of the Dental Section in the Interdisciplinary System for Perioperative Management of Patients Awaiting Surgery

This study reports on the clinical system and contributions of the systematized, standardized POFM applied through the MHAC. Patients awaiting surgery undergo oral screening before admission, with patients classified into three groups: red, needing surgical oral management (tooth extraction or other oral surgery) before surgery; yellow, needing non-surgical oral management before surgery, due to the planned surgery or the risk of tooth injury in connection with general anesthesia; or green, patients with good oral hygiene considered capable of suitable oral self-management. Patients categorized as red or yellow undergo POFM in the dental section of the MHAC before surgery. Almost all patients (88.8%) awaiting surgery now undergo preoperative oral screening, excluding emergent surgeries. In addition, oral screening is important for preventing tooth injury during endotracheal intubation for general anesthesia, and a need for preventive measures was identified in 6.1% of patients. No traumatic injuries of the teeth in connection with general anesthesia have occurred since the opening of the MHAC. Standardized POFM through an interdisciplinary MHAC thus seems extremely useful.
Source: Journal of Medical Systems - Category: Information Technology Source Type: research