Medical Emergencies Assessment Flashcards
What acronym is used for medical emergencies assessment?
A - Airway
B - Breathing
C - Circulation
D - Disability
E - Exposure
How many times should medical emergencies assessment be carried out?
continually
What can airway obstruction lead to?
loss of consciousness
What can cause airway obstruction?
- infection
- inflammation
- swelling
- vomit
- food
How can airway obstruction be recognised?
- talking
- sounds
- snoring like
- work
- effort required to breathe
How can an airway obstruction be treated?
- triple manoeuvre
- head tilt
- chin lift
- jaw thrust
- CPR
- for choking
- cannot perform back slaps/abdominal thrusts
How should airway be assessed?
looking in the mouth for obstructions
What can cause problems with breathing?
- demand
- infection
- inflammation
How should breathing problems be recognised?
- rate
- normal is 4 breaths in 15 seconds
- look
- for chest rising and falling
- listen
- normal breathing is quiet
- feel
How can oxygen intake be assessed in the dental environment?
- usually no monitors available
- colour of patient
- normal colour
- over 94%
- lips and fingers look blue
- under 94%, over 60%
- tongue looks blue
- under 60%
- central cyanosis
- normal colour
What is a normal breathing rate?
4 breaths in 15 seconds
How can breathing problems be treated?
- changing posture
- administering oxygen
- bronchodilators
What can cause problems with circulation?
- arrhythmias
- acute coronary syndrome
- heart failure
How can problems with circulation be recognised?
- pulse check
- heart rate
- pulse strength
- pulse rhythm
What can a heart rate above 120bpm indicate?
- normal physiological response
- anxiety
- asthma
- pneumonia
What can a heart rate below 40bpm indicate?
- end stage illness
- organ failure
- can be normal in elite athletes
What is the minimum systolic blood pressure if a pulse can be felt in different areas?
- radial pulse
- 70mmHg
- brachial pulse
- 60mmHg
- central pulse
- 50mmHg
What other factor should be considered when checking circulation?
temperature
What can be done in practice to treat circulation problems?
- treat cause of circulation problem
- elevate legs
- affects blood pressure
- 1.5l blood contained in legs
- increases perfusion
What are possible causes of disability?
- drugs
- brain injury
- hypoglycaemia
How can disability be recognised?
- ACVPU
- Alert
- Confusion
- Voice
- Pain
- Unresponsive
- GCS
- Glasgow Coma Scale
How can alertness be checked?
- responses to questions
- responses to verbal stimulus
- poke trapezius
How can disability be treated in practice?
- very little can be done
- optimise ABC
How can exposure be assessed in practice?
- limited in dental setting
- look for clinically relevant information
- continually reassess
What are possible emergency conditions to consider?
- anaphylaxis
- angina/MI
- asthma
- cardiac arrest
- choking
- hypoglycaemia
- seizure/fits
- syncope
What advice do the GDC provide about administration of oxygen?
15l/minute delivered via a non-rebreathing mask to anyone who is sick
