Effectiveness of and Patient’s Satisfaction with Dental Emergency Unit in Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital (Paris), Focusing on Pain and Anxiety

Abstract

Background. The Dental Emergency Unit (DEU) of the Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital receives mainly painful emergencies. This study aimed at evaluating the suppression of pain and anxiety as well as the patient’s satisfaction after a visit to the DEU. Patients and Methods. A prospective study was carried out in 2019 (NCT03819036) in adult patients. Data was collected on D0 on site and then on D1, D3, and D7 by phone, during daytime. The main objective and secondary objectives were, respectively, to assess the intensity of pain on D1; the intensity of pain on D3 and D7; the evolution of anxiety on D1, D3, and D7; and the patients’ satisfaction. They were evaluated with a 0–10 numeric scale (NS) on D1, D3 and D7; mean scores were compared with nonparametric statistics (ANOVA, Dunn’s test). Results. 814 patients were contacted and 581 patients included; 87 were lost to follow-up. 376 patients completed all the questionnaires. In the final sample (59% men, 40 ± 16 y.o.), 86% had health insurance. The mean pain scores were as follows: D0: 6.36 ± 0.12; D1: 3.49 ± 0.13; D3: 2.23 ± 0.13; D7: 1.07 ± 0.11—indicating a significant decrease of 45%, 65%, and 93% on D1, D3, and D7, respectively, compared to D0 ( $p<0.0001$ ) between D0 and D1, D3, D7. The mean NS anxiety scores were as follows: D0: 3.32 ± 0.15; D1: 3.69 ± 0.16; D3: 2.75 ± 0.16; D7: 1.98 ± 0.15. The decrease was significant between D0 and D7 ( $p<0.0001$ ). The perception of general heath improved between D1 and D7. The overall score of satisfaction was 8.64 ± 0.06. Conclusion. DEU enabled a significant reduction in pain and anxiety with high overall satisfaction.