Medical Emergencies Flashcards
The patient’s field of vision becomes “white out” or “black out.” The skin is cold and clammy. They lose muscle control at the same time, and fall down.
What has happened? How would you manage or prevent this?
The patient is fainting. This happens when their blood pressure drops suddenly, causing a decrease in blood flow to their brain. It is more common in older people.
more note: avoid LA in seating position (common for pt. To feel faint when LA administered when seated). GIve LA in supine position.
A 13-year-old patient with a history of asthma is being treated in the dental chair by an OHT. During treatment, the patient begins to cough and wheeze, becomes short of breath, and shows signs of sweating.
1 puff at a time, 4 breaths. shake inhaler before each puff
4 minute wait
While preparing to treat your 45-year-old anxious patient, you notice they are breathing very rapidly, and the patient reports they are feeling dizzy and have a tightness in their chest.
stop
breathe
000 if more than 5 minutes
As an OHT, you are performing non-surgical periodontal debridement under local anaesthesia in quadrant 2. Ten minutes into the appointment, you notice your 32-year-old patient appears quite pale and is shaking and sweating. You know they diabetic and remember the patient having mentioned not eating breakfast that morning
stop
glucose 15g-15min
BGL
000 if no improvement
While taking a comprehensive medical history of new 59-year male patient, you note several medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and blood thinners. The patient mentions that sometimes they get chest pain from climbing too many stairs but otherwise they are feeling well. The treatment plan is to restore 36O caries, so you give a LHS IAN block. Soon after the patient begins to sweat and breathe heavily and complains of crushing chest pain that radiates up to their jaw.
stop
000
vitals
While finishing a large amalgam restoration on tooth 16, you want to check occlusion, so you ask your 65-year-old patient to bite down on some articulating paper. The patient begins to talk but you can’t make out what they are saying, their speech is slurred, and you notice that the right side of their face and mouth has drooped.
stop
000
3 vitals
You are extracting several primary teeth in a 10-year-old patient when the patient’s mother who is present but not watching gets up and walks over. As she leans in to have a look you extract the tooth and place it onto the bracket table. She suddenly slumps, falls backwards against the bench and slides to the floor.
sit or lie back down immediately after feeling lightheaded upon standing. Often, symptoms will disappear.
After seating your patient in the dental chair and placing them in the supine position, your 23- year-old patient suddenly falls unconscious and then begins thrashing around in the chair uncontrollably.
Your patient is presenting with a red rash (hives/urticaria) or swelling in their eyes, lips and tongue. Difficulty breathing. Signs of low blood pressure, such as a weak pulse, confusion and loss of consciousness.
Your patient who has a history of CVD complains of chest pain that is radiating to their arms and jaw. This pain is relieved upon giving them a NG spray.
NG(2 sprays every 5 minutes, no more than 3 sprays in 15 mins) or tablet
Your patient complains of feeling lightheadedness or dizziness, weakness. You notice that they are sweating, and holding onto their stomach due to abdominal pain. They begin to feel nauseous and vomit. Eventually they even lose consciousness.
The patient has just swallowed a rubber dam clamp. You tried to retrieve it but failed. They struggle to breathe. You inspect their breathing and cannot hear any breathing sounds and no air is emitted from the nose or mouth
