Online consultation and emergency management in paediatric dentistry during the COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhan: A retrospective study.
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ABSTRACT: Background
The COVID-19 pandemic posed a great challenge to paediatric dentistry, which confronted with the restriction of service and resource shortage.Aim
To retrospectively analyse the information of children's dental online health consultation during the COVID-19 pandemic in China, and to provide methods to distinguish between dental emergencies and non-emergencies as well as their management.Design
We collected all the online consultation information in Dept. of Paediatric dentistry, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, from 2 February to 31 March 2020, and extracted the information of age, gender, reason for consultation, description of symptom, and preliminary diagnosis of the children.Results
A total of 474 online consultations of paediatric dentistry were included within 59 days during lockdown, and 190 (40.1%) were dental emergencies and 284 (59.9%) non-emergencies. Of 190 emergency consultations, 186 (97.9%) showed swelling, pain, and trauma with or without systemic symptoms. Among 284 non-emergency consultations, retained primary teeth (n = 126) and orthodontic consultation (n = 53) were the most common reasons for consultation.Conclusion
The paediatric emergency and non-emergency problems should be clearly distinguished and sufficient instructions provided in the special period of COVID-19. Priorities also should be set to deal with urgent conditions after the release of lockdown.
SUBMITTER: Yang F
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7537273 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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