Clinical Assessment of Cardiopulmonary Changes that Occurs During Dental Work for the Dentist with PPE during COVID-19 Pandemic in Mosul City
Author(s): Abdulhameed N Aldabagh, Ziad H Deleme* and Alyaa I Naser
Abstract
During COVID-19 pandemic dental work must be changed to another form and quality and quantity and one of these basic changes is personal protective equipment that may has an effects on physiology of dentist?s body including cardiac and pulmonary and blood oxygenation specially if it is used for long periods and their effects on dental performance and time to dental work and make correct decisions during COVID-19 pandemic in dental centres and poly clinics and clinics. Aims of the study: were to find the changes in the readings of heart rate and blood pressure and oxygen saturation of the dentist whom utilizing personal protective equipment for more than one hour during dental work in the period of COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A prospective study done first by choosing many centres and poly clinic and dental clinics in Mosul city that obey the protocol of dental work during COVID-19 pandemic and make a case sheet for the dentist with detailed personal and medical and surgical history, who work more than one hour with PPE continuously and check the blood pressure and pulse rate by digital sphygomonometry and pulse oximeter before wearing PPE and after one hour of his work, dentists volunteers divided in to group 1 whom age less than 35 years and group 2 more than 35 years and compare these data and make analysis. Results and discussion: There was a significant difference in the readings of MAP before and after the study tests for group 1only, and values for pulse rates and oxygenation of red blood cells were observed that there was a significant difference for both groups in which work duration was more than 60 minutes, so wearing the PPE has negligible effects on pulse rate and oxygen saturation but had an effects on blood pressure may be due to stress and psychological factors.