Emergencies & Records - Week 4 PP - Outcome 4 Flashcards
Importance of a Medical History
- Provides information on the etiology and diagnosis of oral conditions
- Insight into psychosocial factors that may affect treatment and compliance
- Reveal medical conditions that necessitate precautions, modifications, or adaptations during treatment
- Aid in identification of unrecognized conditions
◦ Possible referrals - Understanding of general health and nutritional status
- Document for reference
- Evidence in legal issues
Role of a Dental Assistant (w/ Medical Histories)
- To identify and understand various medical conditions in order to prevent potential medical
emergencies, better understand oral findings, and appropriately modify treatment in a dental clinic.
Medically Compromised Categories
Category I: Healthy patients
* Category II: Medical conditions requiring scheduling changes or shorter appointments
* Category III: Medical conditions requiring significant modifications in dental treatment planning
* Category IV: Medical conditions requiring major modifications including dental treatment within the operating room
* Category V: Serious medical conditions and only limited care
Cardiovascular Disease
-Heart disease is also referred to as cardiovascular disease
-Involves diseases of the heart and blood vessels
Cardiovascular Disease
Heart and vascular, or cardiovascular, diseases include conditions such as:
◦ arrhythmias,
◦ high blood pressure (hypertension),
◦ congenital heart defects,
◦ coronary artery disease,
Arteriosclerosis
Atherosclerosis
◦ heart attack (myocardial infarction),
◦ angina pectoris,
◦ congestive heart failure,
◦ heart surgery/transplant, and
◦ artificial heart valves
Infective Endocarditis
Is a microbial infection of the heart valves or endocardium
Cardiovascular Diseases requiring special treatment at dentist
Congenital heart disease – premedication
* Infective endocarditis - premedication
* Blood pressure – anesthetics (epinephrine use),
postural hypotension, xerostomia, gingival
enlargement.
* Angina pectoris – emergency potential
* Heart diseases – breathing problems, bleeding
tendencies, use of ultrasonic (pacemakers)
* Surgically corrected – premedication?, postpone
treatment, immunosuppressants
Gum disease is a risk factor for…
Gum disease is a risk factor for coronary artery disease; gum disease is a risk factor for diseases of the blood vessels and arteries; people with gum disease had a higher risk of stroke and there was a direct link between clogged arteries in the legs and gum disease
Clinical Considerations for dental appointments
-Avoid stressful, lengthy appointments.
* Assess vital signs before treatment; consider monitoring throughout the procedure.
* The dentist may use psychotropic premedication
and nitrous oxide to help relieve stress.
* Consider the use of supplemental oxygen throughout the procedure.
The dentist may consult with the patient’s cardiologist about the use of prophylactic sublingual nitroglycerin immediately before treatment.
* Epinephrine and other vasoconstrictors can be administered within limits to patients with mild to moderate cardiovascular disease.
* Seated patients are more comfortable in a semisupine rather than a supine position.
Questions to ask if patient has Angina Pectoris
- When was the last time you experienced angina?
- How frequently does it occur?
- What triggers your angina (Boyd and Mallonee,
2023? - Medications?
Question to ask a patient with Hypertension
Tell me the things you do to manage your high blood pressure/
* Do you take any medications as prescribed by your primary care provider?
* Do you experience any side effects from your medication?
Pacemaker
- External electromagnetic interferences can alter or stop a pacemaker therefore some dental equipment cannot be used.
- A physician should be consulted to ensure
patient safety
Respiratory Disease
Respiratory conditions are medical conditions that affect the lungs and someone’s ability to breath.
* Common respiratory conditions include:
◦ asthma,
◦ acute bronchitis,
◦ pneumonia
◦ tuberculosis,
◦ chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
emphysema,
chronic bronchitis
◦ cystic fibrosis and,
◦ sinusitis.
Sleep Apnea
-Sleep apnea is a respiratory condition where patients stop breathing during sleep.
* It is caused by an obstruction in the airway during sleep
◦ tongue or the soft tissues of the mouth.
* Can cause serious cardiovascular problems
Asthma - Questions to ask patient
Tell me about your asthma
* What symptoms do you experience?
* Are there specific triggers for an asthma attack?
* Do you have trouble breathing when laying down in a bed or in a dental chair?
* Do you take any medications?
Clinical Considerations for Respiratory Disease
Dental chair position
* Some procedures may be contraindicated (ultrasonic and air polishers)
* Nitrous oxide contraindicated
* Potential medical emergency
* Reduction or no‐aerosol agents
Hematological Diseases
Bleeding disorders can result from inherited genetic defects or be acquired due to use of anticoagulant medications (blood thinner) or medical conditions such as liver dysfunction, chronic kidney disease, and autoimmune disease
* Examples
◦ Bleeding or Coagulation Disorders
Hemophilia A - can be passed down on male side of family
von Willebrand disease
◦ Anemia - low blood cell count, very faint
◦ Sickle Cell Disease
◦ Thrombocytopenia - low levels of platelets, increased nose bleeds, bruise easier
◦ Disorders of white blood cells
◦ Platelet disorders
Clinical Considerations for Hematological Diseases
- Consultation ‐Antibiotic premedication may be required and bleeding times
- May be immunosuppressed‐ risk of infection – need for excellent home care
- Increased bleeding associated
with dental procedures - Potential emergency
- May require special measures
- May see oral lesions
Questions to ask patient with Hematological disease
- When was the diagnosis?
- What has been done to managed the blood disorder?
- Have you experienced any unusual bleeding associated with previous dental appointments
- Do you have a history of coagulation disorder
- Do you regular use aspiring? Herbal supplements? Or other medications?
Communicable Diseases
Health care providers are at risk for infection with bloodborne pathogens, including hepatitis B virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and hepatitis C virus.
* Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis
◦ persons suspected of having pulmonary or laryngeal tuberculosis should be considered
infectious if they are coughing, are undergoing cough‐inducing or aerosol‐generating procedures, or have sputum smears (saliva test) positive for acid‐fast bacilli
Not on SAIT Medical History Form
- No specific section
◦ Tuberculosis
◦ Hepatitis
◦ HIV/AIDS
◦ Mononucleosis (mono)
◦ Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) - Supplemental medical history form if suspected
- COVID Screening and Consent Form
Hepatitis A Virus (HAV)
- is present in the feces of infected persons and is most often transmitted through consumption of contaminated water or food.
- Certain sex practices can also spread HAV
Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
- is transmitted through exposure to infective blood, semen, and other body fluids.
- HBV can be transmitted from infected mothers to infants at the time of birth or from family member to infant in early childhood.
- Transmission may also occur through transfusions of HBV‐ contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injection drug use.
- HBV poses a risk to healthcare workers who sustain accidental needle stick injuries while caring for infected‐HBV patients
Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
* is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood.
* This may happen through transfusions of HCV‐contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injection drug use.
* Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
Hepatitis D virus (HDV)
- infections occur only in those who are infected with HBV.
- The dual infection of HDV and HBV can result in a more serious disease and worse outcome
Hepatitis E virus (HEV)
- is mostly transmitted through consumption of contaminated water or food.
- HEV is a common cause of hepatitis outbreaks in developing parts of the world
vaccine developed but not as available as others
Communicable Diseases
-Hepatitis B/C HIV‐ precaution against needlestick injury
* Tuberculosis‐ infectivity risk
* STI’s‐ infectivity risk
* Herpes – postpone routine care when oral lesions are present - cold sores are not allowed!!! they will spread
* HIV/AIDS – may present with oral lesions
If a patient indicates having COVID‐19 on the medical history form what questions would you ask?
- When did you have COVID‐19 and what treatment was involved?
- Do you experience any long term effects of COVID‐19?
- How does this affect your daily
activities? - Are you taking any medications to manage the long term effects?
- Have you been vaccinated?
Stroke indicators
F- face drooping
A - arms - can they lift?
S - speech - slurred?
T - time - give medication asap
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) include conditions and diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels. These are conditions in which physical and emotional stresses can cause the heart to work harder and therefore require more oxygen. CVD includes the abnormal function of the blood vessels and disease of the heart muscle. They may include the following:
- Congenital heart disease
- Rheumatic Fever
- Mitral Valve Prolapse
- Hypertension
- Ischemic Heart Disease
- Angina Pectoris
- Myocardial Infarction (heart attack)
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Cardiac Arrhythmias
- Artificial (Prosthetic) Heart Valve
- Heart Surgery/Transplant
What is Congenital Heart Disease
Anomalies of the anatomic structure of the heart or major blood vessels that occur while the heart is developing
Caused by genetic and/or environmental factors
Common types of defects ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect pulmonary stenosis, and patent duct arteriosis
Questions to Ask & Significances - Congenital Heart Disease
-What is the nature of the condition?
-Medical consultation may be required with the patient’s physician prior to beginning dental treatment.
-What is the degree of disability produced by it?
-Antibiotic prophylaxis may be required prior to dental treatment
What is Rheumatic Fever
is a complication following rheumatic fever that may result in permanent heart damage
What is Mitral Valve Prolapse?
damage to the mitral valves, the closure of the value is imperfect and oxygenated blood can backflow or regurgitate
What is hypertension?
an abnormal elevation of arterial pressure
Hypertension refers to high blood pressure against the arterial walls which increases the pressure on the heart due to elevated arterial blood pressure. It can be caused by arteriosclerosis, a systemic infection (i.e. inflammation of the kidney or pregnancy), or even emotional stress unrelated to a physical abnormality. It is not a cause of death but indicates that something is physically or emotionally wrong.
Questions to Ask & Significance - Hypertension
-Do you know if you have high blood pressure?
-When was your blood pressure last evaluated by a medical doctor?
-What is your blood pressure reading? Is it controlled?
-Are you taking high blood pressure medication?
Significance:
-This may lead to a need to consult a physician or postpone a dental treatment until the hypertension is under control.
-May require the use of a local anesthetic with less or no vasoconstrictor so that the patient’s blood pressure does not increase anymore.
-Schedule early morning & short appointments
-Patient may require sedation
-Antihypertensive medications can have side effects affecting dental treatment (i.e. postural hypotension, syncope, depression) or oral tissues (xerostomia)
-Antihypertensive medications may interfere with other drugs prescribed in dentistry.
What is Ischemic Heart Disease
This is a common degenerative disease that arises from a reduction or stoppage of blood supply to the myocardium (the heart muscle). As a result, there is decreased blood flow through the blood vessels and increased pressure on the walls of the blood vessels (peripheral resistance) that may be caused by:
Atherosclerosis:
is an inflammatory disease of medium and large arteries in which artheomas (fatty deposit or plaque) are deposited and thicken the layer of the involved blood vessel (Boyd & Mallonee, 2023). As a result, these coronary artery walls become narrower and blood flow is reduced through them. This may lead the patient to experience:
Angina pectoris
Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
Congestive heart failure
What is Angina Pectoris
chest pain caused by a reduction of blood flow to the heart
What is myocardial infarction?
Heart attack - results from a sudden reduction or stop of coronary blood flow