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Medically Compromised Patients Medicine Supporting Your Practice

Dealing with the most frequent medical emergencies in the dental office

SirenThis summary is based on the article published in the British Dental Journal: General medicine and surgery for dental practitioners: part 3. Management of specific medical emergencies in dental practice (August 2014)

M. Greenwood and J. G. Meechan

Note: The article could contain medication that is not similarly labelled in Canada. 

 

 

Purpose of the Article

  • The actions needed to manage specific medical emergencies are discussed. Each emergency requires a correct diagnosis to be made for effective and safe management. Contemporar
  • The article:
    • Discusses treatment for specific emergencies and where appropriate the drugs used.
    • Recognises signs and symptoms of relevant medical emergencies.
    • Outlines routes of drug administration appropriate to dental practitioners.

Key Messages

  • The cornerstone of emergency management is the ABCDE approach (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure).
  • Emergencies can usually be anticipated by obtaining a thorough medical history.2
  • Once the nature of the emergency has been established, more specific management must be instituted, underpinned by the ABCDE approach.
  • Most frequent medical emergencies to occur in a dental office:
    • Vasovagal syncope (faint)
    • Hyperventilation/’panic attack’
    • Acute asthma attack
    • Angina/myocardial infarction
    • Epileptic seizures
    • Diabetic emergencies
    • Allergies/hypersensitivity reactions
    • Choking and aspiration
    • Adrenal insufficiency
    • Cardiac arrest

 

vasovagal Syncope

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Asthma

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Hyperventilation

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