Management of Medical Emergencies in the Dental Office

Course Description

As dental practitioners, we must be continually prepared to effectively manage a medical emergency. Our patients rely on our ability to do so. This however may lead to a difficult predicament because thankfully, dentists encounter medical emergencies infrequently. We therefore may not be proficient in handling these situations since we are not practiced in doing so.

This course will review methods of reducing the likelihood that a medical emergency will occur by learning how to predict who may have a medical emergency and what that emergency is likely to be. As well, the use of emergency drugs will be discussed along with a discussion regarding the most up-to-date protocols for basic cardiac life support and the use of an automated external defibrillator. Finally, specific emergency management will be reviewed and suggestions as to how to organize an emergency kit, so as to be prepared even months down the road, will be provided.

This course is approved by the Kentucky Board of Dentistry and meets the general supervision requirements for dental hygienists as stipulated in KRS 313.040.

Learning Objectives

Upon course completion, participants will be able to:

• Identify how to reduce the risk of a medical emergency.
• Assess vital signs and understand what they mean.
• Discuss basic life support protocols.
• Explain which drugs are appropriate for a dentist to stock in a medical emergency kit.
• Explain how and when to use medical emergency drugs.
• Discuss how to manage specific medical emergencies; for example syncope, hypoglycemia, stroke, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, asthma, local anesthetic overdose, seizure, and allergy.