Evaluation of Knowledge About Anaphylaxis in Dentistry and Medical Faculty Students; Need for More Training

Objective: Anaphylaxis is a serious reaction that needs rapid intervention. However, some healthcare professionals may have inadequate knowledge about anaphylaxis to manage this situation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge about anaphylaxis in dentistry students (DS) in comparison with medical school ones (MS). Materials and Methods: Students were recruited from the Dentistry (n=81) and Medical (n=144) Faculties of the University Hospital. The level of knowledge about anaphylaxis was evaluated by using a questionnaire with 26 items that was used previously. Results: The overall response rate was 89.9%. One tenth of the study group had ever encountered a case with anaphylaxis, but 2.8% of them stated that they had involved in the treatment by themselves. Almost all of the participants stated that allergy might be a life-threatening reaction. Additionally, 43.3% reported that they had epinephrine in their department. DS knew less than MS about the primary use of epinephrine after assessing the airway, breathing and circulation in the treatment of anaphylaxis, and even in suspicious cases (59.3% vs. 98.6%, and 42% vs. 94.4%, all p