Be Prepared: Medical Emergencies in the Dental Office

There are about 3,000 life-threatening medical emergencies a year in U.S dental offices, this according to American Dental Association estimates. And even though they are a relatively rare occurrence, many of these emergencies require intervention from staff members—above and beyond the CPR that the dental team is required to know.

The dental team can encounter emergencies that don't require CPR compressions and ventilations . Anaphylaxis, chest pain, and altered level of consciousness are just three emergencies of many that need prompt and appropriate action. So how does a practice prepare to deal with a medical emergency?

Written Plan

First, a written comprehensive medical emergency response plan should be developed for every office. This plan should be reviewed by the entire office annually or when any changes in staff occur. The medical emergency response plan should include specific duties for each person within the office. For instance, front office staff should be assigned the task of calling 911, copying the medical records of the patient, and meeting the fire department / paramedics in the parking lot. A licensed staff member should be assigned the task of documenting the medical emergency and maintaining the patient's airway.

Emergency Medical Kit

Medications that every office should have on hand include, but are not limited to: nitroglycerin, albuterol, glucose, and epinephrine. Every dental office should also have a portable oxygen tank with a liter flow regulator attached.Secondly, every office should have an emergency medical kit , such as the HM 1010 kit that contains medications to treat the most life-threatening emergencies. Every medication has an expiration date; therefore, the contents of the kit should be inspected monthly. Healthfirst offers an Automatice Drug Refill Service to ensure medications are always fresh.

AED

Finally, the American Heart Association has recently made significant changes in CPR. The new changes took effect June 2006, and much more importance has been placed in the use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AED). Studies have shown that the use of AEDs with CPR has a much higher success rate than the use of CPR alone. In fact, the survival rate is greater than 70% when an AED is used within the first minute of a sudden cardiac arrest. The cost of AEDs have come down over the past few years and certain AEDs are even available over the counter without a physician’s prescription. Anyone can now purchase an AED for under $1,500.00. It is highly recommended that every dental office have an AED available, and that every member of the dental office be familiar with its use.