38: Medical Emergencies

SECTION 4 Medical Emergencies

American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Classification System to Determine Medical Risk

Adapted from Malamed SF: Medical emergencies in the dental office, ed 6, St Louis, 2007, Mosby; Stefanac SJ, Nesbit SP: Treatment planning in dentistry, ed 2, St Louis, 2007, Mosby; and Little JW, Falace DA, Miller CS Dental mangement of the medically compromised patient, ed 7, St Louis, 2008, Mosby.

Basic Emergency Drug Kit

Drug/Route Administered Action Indication
Aromatic ammonia/inhaled Chemical irritant Syncope (fainting)
Epinephrine pen/subcutaneous Cardiac stimulant and bronchodilator Acute allergic reaction; acute bronchospasm (asthma)
Nitroglycerin/sublingual Relaxes smooth muscle and dilates coronary arteries Angina pectoris
Glucose/oral as sugar cubes, orange juice, or nondiet soft drink Elevates blood sugar Hypoglycemia
Bronchodilator/inhaled (albuterol, proventil, terbutaline) Dilates bronchi Bronchospasm; asthma
Antihistamine/oral (Benadryl) Decreases the allergic response Allergic reaction
Oxygen/inhaled Increases oxygen to the brain Respiratory distress

Other medications may be included for use in advanced cardiac life support, but advanced training is needed to administer them.

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Jan 1, 2015 | Posted by in Dental Hygiene | Comments Off on 38: Medical Emergencies

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