Medical Emergencies in the Dental Office Flashcards
(52 cards)
3 components of emergency drills
1-keep it simple
2- designate a specific task to each staff member
3-quarterly drills
ABCs of any emergancy
- supine position
- 100% oxygen
- Airway, Breathing, Circulation
- vitals
- knowledge of AED
5 things to include in documenting of an ermergency
1-history of event 2- positive primary and secondary survey 3- tx provided 4-time of events 5-disposition
what is the most common medical emergency in dentistry?
vasodepression synope
*30% of adults will have this at some point
what is the etiology of syncope?
decreased cerebral blood flow
what are some common causes of syncope?
needles, stress, fear, pain, etc
what is the differential for syncope?
- anxiety
- hyperventilation syndrome
- MI
- hypoglycemia
- epilepsy
- hypotension
- neurocardiogenic syncope
early pre-syncope signs
nausea, warmth, sweating, loss of color, tachycardia
late pre-syncope signs
hypotension, bradycardia, pupil dilation, coldness, visual disturbances, loss of consciousness
what are the phases of syncope?
1-decreases CBF
2-loss of consciousness
3-loss of postural tone
*if you are out for longer than a couple minutes you can get seizures
risk of cardiovascular disease doubles for every increment of ____ mmHg of systolic or every ___ mm Hg of diastolic bp
20, 10
if over 50 ears old, a systolic BP of what is a more important risk factor than diastolic?
> 140
stage 1 hypertension
140-159/or90-99
*confirm BP, proceed with elective tx, recheck BP
stage 2 hypertension
> 160/or100
*emergency tx, see dr. before elective tx
2nd most common cause of loss of consciousness in dental office?
orthostatic hypotension
**standing systolic drops by 25, standing diastolic drops 10
why do the elderly get orthostatic hypotension?
decreased baroreflex mechanism. impairs cardiac response to preload
*meds can make worse, elderly are most susceptible
what two things should a diabetic patient be instructed to do prior to an appointment?
Eat and take their meds prior to coming in
what are some common ways patients will become hypoglycemic?
too much insulin, alcohol, too much exercise, missed meal
Autonomic symptoms of hypoglycemia
sweating, trembling, palpitations, anxiety, nausea
Neuroglycopenic symptoms
dizziness confusion difficulty speaking headache inability to concentrate weakness blurred vision
Tx for the hypoglycemic patient
give sugary food/water, seek med. attention, give glucose
**if tx is delayed, death or serious injury may result
What are some cause of seizures?
brain tumor/injury, poison, electric shock, heat stroke, fever, etc.
What are some symptoms of seizures?
muscle rigidity, short scream, drooling, etc
If a patient is having a seizure, what are two things you should NOT do?
1- Do NOT put anything in patient’s mouth
2-Do NOT hold patient down
