DENTAL ANESTHESIOLOGY RESIDENTS ON THE FRONT LINE IN THE OPERATING ROOM
Dental anesthesiology ( DA ) residents are trained to work in stressful situations . Prior to COVID-19 , NYU Langone Dental Medicine DA residents would only spend one day a week in a dental clinic and work the rest of the week in the main operating room at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn . Residents provide anesthesia services for all specialties , from podiatry to neurology to spinal and orthopedic cases . Second-year residents complete a one-month rotation on a rapid response team in the hospital emergency setting . That is why when COVID-19 hit New York City and medical professional resources were limited , our DA residents were asked to become members of the emergency trauma or rapid response teams ( RRT ). These teams , consisting of 5-6 professionals , cared for patients with advanced stage COVID . They were called into action when a patient needed airway assistance . They also participated in the management of these patients , intubating them , observing , and positioning a patient before or after a surgical procedure .
One of the PGY-2 DA residents was on off-site rotation in Los Angeles during March when COVID hit NYC hard . At that time , Los Angeles had come under COVID mandated restrictions and the DA resident was pulled off rotation and told to shelter in place . With the rotation suspended , she was hearing from her classmates in NY that they were being asked to support NYU Langone Hospital efforts in treating COVID stricken patients . She wanted to be part of the team and felt she could make a difference in NY . She called Dental Anesthesiology Program Director , Dr . Charles Azzaretti , and told him she needed to be back in NY .
All 18 dental anesthesiology residents were re-deployed to support the Intensive Care Units in addition to managing their OR responsibilities . Multiple residents were scheduled during the day and two residents worked overnight ( 12-hour shifts ) including one resident on call for a 24-hour period .
Dr . Taurean Smith , a 3rd year , chief resident , said , “ As DA residents , we were prepared for this role . What we weren ’ t prepared for was the volume of patients , the uncertainty of information , and lack of clear direction . We were in unchartered territory and there was confusion among specialists about who should take the lead and how to most effectively treat these patients .” In a 12-hour shift , 25-50 ICU patients would need to be intubated and managed . At the peak of COVID , the hospital was reporting significant deaths each day , some of these were individuals we treated . That alone can take an emotional and physical toll .
Every day we were putting ourselves , our families and friends at risk . While as a program , all residents were committed to serve , it was a balancing act each day to manage one ’ s personal and professional concerns . Dr . Smith is grateful to have been part of the team and to have had the opportunity to play such a large role in the medical management of COVID patients . He said , “ It brought out the best in us as oral health providers and we were really able to see multidisciplinary care work .”
THANK YOU TO DR . TAUREAN SMITH , 3 rd YEAR CHIEF , DENTAL ANESTHESIOLOGY RESIDENT , FOR SHARING HIS EXPERIENCE .
ISSUE 11 JOURNAL 1 NOVEMBER 2020
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