Assisting in Emergency Care Flashcards
MEDICAL emergencies
Emergenices certainly are a part off life, Emergencies happen in dental offices as well. What qualifies as a medical emergency? usually a medial emergency denfined as any condition or circumstance that requires immediate action for some who has been injured or suddenly taken ill.
Dental assistant can prevent an emergency by:
- knowing the patient
-maintaining open communication
-keeping an updated medical history
Common medical emergencies
some are serious and some are not.
- syncope (falinting)
- postural hypotension (orthodontics hypotension)
-pregnancy
-cardiac problem - stroke
-hyerventilation
-asthma attack
-allergic reaction
-epileptic seizure
-diabetes mellitus (hyper,and hypoglycemia)
preparing for emergeniices
each staff member should know his or her assigned role. Who will call 911 or who will retrieve the first aid kit?
Routine drills should be practed and familiar. this can be done by conducting mock emergenices
emergency phone # and contact should be kept where they can be easily accessed and followed
Train each staff person should maintain certification inCPR and first Aid.
Know your role in an emergeny
everyone in the dental office should know what to do in an emergency. specific roles should be assigned and then discussed ad practiced. Routine drills will help the whole staff compete the tasks listed here:
- Train in mock emergency situation
- learn each other’role
- learn emergency telephone # and 811 police/fire station and emergency medical services.
using an automated external defibrillator
patient who experience cardiac arrest while in the office can be treated with a automated external defibrillartor.
the pieces can help patient’s chanage for survival because it can:
- monitor the heart rhythm
-analyze the heat rhythm for ventricular fibrillation
- automatically defibrillate the patient’s heart.
The basics of emergency care
every member of the dental team must be current in:
- cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- Heimlich maneuver
-taking and recording vital signs
These skills the dental team should know how ti implement the ABCDs of basic life support.These include:
-A-airway: must be opened and maintained
- B-breathing: must be evaluted
-c-circulation: must be monitored to determine whether the heart is beating
-D-defibrillation: should be preformed if necessary.
Adult CPR
CPR have saved countles lives over the years. IT is a relatively easy procedure to perform, but certain steps must be followed in order
step1: ask loud if the person is ok.
- if there is no response get assistance and call 911.
- listen and feel for digns of brething. watch the chest for the rise and fall.
- if there are no soign of breathing, begin rescus breathing. given two full breath. use a mouth shield.
- kneel at the victim;s side, nect to the chest. move yoy figer up the ribes to point where the sternum and rib join. Your middle finger should dit into the area and you index finger should be next to it across the sternum
- place the heel of your hand on the middle of the chest and over the sternum.
- place you other hands on top of the first hand lift and finger upward off tthe chest
- Bring shoulder directly over the victims sternum as you compress doenward, keep arms straight.
- give 5 copression, makeing sure to depress the sterum 1 1/2 to 2 inch in the adult. relax the pressure on the sternum after each compression but do not remove your hands from the vctim.
- complet the 3 more cycles of 15 chest cmpression and 2 breaths. stops if the person begins to breath or you feel a heart beat. continue until help arrives or someone else who is qualificed taken over.
Emergency kit basics
The drugs should be checks weekly to ensure they have not expired. oxygen should be checked on daily basis.
-oxygen: green color is the color of the o2
-epinephrine:
-Antihistamine: treat allergies
-Anticonvulsant:
-glucose: trat hyoglycemia
-vasopressor:
-nitroglycerin:
-ammonia inhalant:
-AED:
Syncope
Anxiety and stress can trigger health conditions that can cause a patient to faint. Syncope, or fainting, is transient loss of consciousness and postural tone. It is usually short in duration followed by a spontaneous recovery. Syncope is often preceded by a prodromal stage that might include dizziness, nausea, sweating, weakness, and palpitations. Syncope, which is the most common type of emergency in the dental office, can be brought on by psychogenic and nonpsychogenic factors.
The second leading cause of syncope in the dental office is postural or orthostatic hypertension. A quick change in position by the patient can cause an insufficient amount of blood flow to the brain. This results in syncope or fainting.
Types of allergic reactions
An allergy is when the body’s immune system overreacts to a specific antigen-substances that cause an immune response.
A serve allergic response can result in a life threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis os anaphphylactics shocks. A localized allergic response is slow to develop involving mild symptoms such as itching ,erythemmma and hives.
Cardiac Emergencies and Strokes
In angina pectoris, the patient feels severe chest pain. This occurs because the heart muscle is not getting enough oxygen. The pain lasts a matter of minutes and is relieved or at least lessened by the administration of a commonly prescribed drug, nitroglycerin.
In acute myocardial infarction, also known as a heart attack, the muscles of the heart are damaged because sufficient oxygen cannot reach them.
A sudden stopping of the heart and breathing is known as cardiac arrest. Symptoms include slow or absent respiration, absence of blood pressure and pulse, and loss of consciousness.
A stroke is an interruption of blood flow to the brain. This interruption lasts long enough that it damages the brain and typically causes a loss of brain function. Predisposing diseases for a stroke include:
* Arteriosclerosis
* Heart disease
* Uncontrolled high blood pressure
Breathing Problems
When a patient breathes too fast or too deeply and inhales too much oxygen, it can cause a condition called hyperventilation. The patient * usually remains conscious. Hyperventilation is typically associated with feeling frightened or worried, or being in pain conditions a dental assistant can easily see in the office.
Bronchial asthma is a disorder that can result in sudden attacks of coughing, wheezing, and breathing problems. It occurs when a person’s airways narrow, limiting the amount of oxygen that can get through. A bronchial asthma attack can also be triggered by stress, an allergic reaction, or a respiratory infection.
A universal sign of choking or someone who is having trouble breathing is hands at throat.
Epileptic Seizure Epilepsy
Epileptic Seizure Epilepsy is a neurologic disorder that usually entails episodes of seizures. A small one involving a momentary lapse of consciousness is called a petit mal seizure. On the other hand, a grand mal seizure involves temporary loss of consciousness, plus uncontrollable muscular contraction and relaxation. NEVER stick your fingers in patient’s mouths because the person could bite your fingers off during a seizure. It was previously thought seizure sufferers might swallow and choke on their tongues, but studies show that this is unlikely. The phases of a seizure include:
* Phase 1: Aura
* Phase 2: Loss of consciousness
* Phase 3: Muscle contractions
* Phase 4: Sleep/recovery
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is metaboliic disorder resulting from distrubances in normal insulin mechanics. an abnormal increase in the glucose or sugar level of the blood is called hyperglycemia. It can result in
-Diabetic ketoacidosis
-diabetic corma
On the opposite end of the spectrum an abnormally low glucosa or sugar level results in hypoglycemia. It often is caused by:
-Missing a meal
-An overdose of insulin
Soft tissue injuries
Soft Tissue Injuries A soft tissue injury can occur from any dental instrument. The best way to avoid this situation is for the dental assistant to pay close attention and care during procedures. Additionally, patients might come to the office seeking treatment for a soft tissue injury sustained outside of the office.
A postextraction hemorrhage can happen at any time following an extraction. Post-procedure bleeding is normal, but a hemorrhage is a serious condition. Symptoms can include profuse bleeding that will not stop, physical weakness from blood loss, and the presence of large quantities of blood in the mouth. To control the bleeding, place a gauze pack over the area and have the patient firmly bite down. To further control bleeding, the dentist can place a gelatinous sponge product called Gelfoam® that is treated with a hemostatic agent to control bleeding.
Alveolitis, also known as “dry socket,” is a painful emergent condition. Alveolitis is caused by the failure of a clot to form, or the dislodging of an existing clot. As a result, nerve endings in the bone are exposed, causing discomfort. To resolve the condition, the dentist will pack the socket with eugenol gauze packing. This will calm the exposed nerves. The patient will need to return in one to two days for reevaluation. PREV
