“Medical Emergency Mastery” was designed to take the guesswork out of emergency preparedness. It empowers general dentists and their staffs to recognize and manage medical emergencies in their office through (1) an expertly crafted medical history, (2) a targeted emergency drug kit specifically for general dentists and (3) staff emergency training that is reproducible for staffs of any size. This three-pronged approach will prepare you to proactively lead your staff, protect your patients and give you the peace of mind you have earned.
#1: A properly constructed Medical History
A thorough medical history is the single most significant diagnostic tool.The majority of dentists purchase pre-packaged medical questionnaires that are far too generic and ask questions in an alphabetic type order (such as asthma, allergy, angina etc.). These questions require the practitioner to look at each question, determine if the response is acceptable and then ask an appropriate follow-up question. What if we forget the next right question? What if we don’t know the next question? What if we’re too busy?
The medical history should be constructed to include questions that you believe are relevant to your patient population, asked in a way that will give you maximum access to the information.
The questions can be divided into three sections
- physical systems
- psychological systems
- dental experiences
The patient is requested to complete their form prior to the first visit, so the dentist has adequate time to review it. (If the patient doesn’t have a computer or doesn’t have the opportunity to complete it, the information can be obtained in the office.) The dentist or reviewing staff member is able to review the completed health history, highlight areas of concern and question the patient in greater detail prior to the initiation of dental treatment. This allows you to assess the overall health of your patients more effectively, and prevent potential medical emergencies.
#2: A properly constructed Emergency Drug Kit
Construct an emergency drug kit specifically for general dentists or specialists not providing sedation. I simplified the components of this drug kit to reflect the drugs used to treat the seven most commonly occurring medical emergencies in the dental office: syncope, hypoglycemia, asthma, mild allergic reaction, severe allergic reaction, angina, and heart attack.
The drug name, dosage and how to adminster need to be labelled and stocked in waterproof container.Many dentist know the theory part but into action it become worse.
#3: A properly trained and empowered staff
The Doctor’s primary role is to remain with the patient, direct the response efforts, maintain the patient’s airway, administer CPR, if necessary, and direct the administration of emergency drugs.
The primary responder will be the staff member with the most dental or emergency experience. She should have experience in recognizing the signs of an emergency and be knowledgeable in their treatment. She will know the location of all the emergency drugs, equipment and their use. This responder will follow only the Doctor’s direction. After receiving instructions from the Doctor, she will direct a second responder to be on standby to notify 911 and prepare for emergency intervention. The call to 911 will be placed only when requested by the Doctor.
It is impossible to predict what will occur in our practice on a daily basis. The medical emergencies will happen to each one of us. The shape, form and fashion will be unique to your patient population—but no matter what, you are responsible for your reaction to them.
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