Are Emergency Medicine Physicians Able to Determine the Need for Computed Tomography and Specialist Consultation in Odontogenic Maxillofacial Infections?

Pain and swelling from a necrotic tooth is a common complaint in emergency departments. These patients impose significant burdens on hospital budgets and provider time. The initial triage of odontogenic infections can be difficult without advanced knowledge and training in head and neck anatomy and odontogenic disease pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency with which emergency medicine physicians correctly determine the need for computed tomography imaging (CT) and specialist consultation in patients with odontogenic infections.
Source: Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Source Type: research