Medical Emergencies I

Question 1

How do you obtain an up-to-date medical and dental history?

Answer 1

Using a medical questionnaire

Question 2

What can a medical and dental history help identify?

Answer 2

Help identify risks and minimise medical emergency occurrence

Question 3

Was observations needs to be made during a physical evaluation of the Patient? (7)

Answer 3

• Patient’s posture
• Body movements
• Quality of speech
• Feel of patient’s skin
• Colour of the patients skin
• Odours on the breath
• Rate and pattern of respiration

Question 4

When should training for medical emergencies be updated?

Answer 4

Updated at least annually

Question 5

Where should all medical emergency drugs be stored?

Answer 5

Stored together in a purposely-designed ‘Emergency Drugs’ storage container

Question 6

How should drugs in solution be prepared for in medical emergencies?

Answer 6

Where possible drugs in solution should be in a pre-filled syringe

Question 7

Give some examples of cardiovascular emergencies (5)

Answer 7

• Myocardial Infarction
• Angina
• Cardiac Arrest
• Syncope (fainting)
• Postural Hypotension

Question 8

Give some examples of respiratory emergencies (4)

Answer 8

• Hyperventilation
• Respiratory Arrest
• Acute Respiratory Obstruction
• Asthma

Question 9

Give some examples of neurological emergencies (3)

Answer 9

• CVA (Stroke)
• Status epilepticus
• Loss of consciousness

Question 10

Give some examples of metabolic emergencies (3)

Answer 10

• Hypoglycaemia
• Hyperglycaemia
• Addisonian crisis

Question 11

What is Addisonian crisis?

Answer 11

• Metabolic emergency
• Low BP
• Low blood levels of sugar
• High blood levels of potassium

Question 12

Give some examples of miscellaneous medical emergencies (4)

Answer 12

• Anaphylaxis
• Drug overdose
• Drug allergy
• Drug interactions

Question 13

Glyceryl trinitrate spray;

Medical emergency?
Dosage?
Route?
Mechanism of action?

Answer 13

• Angina
• 400mg
• Sublingual
• Potent vasodilator

Question 14

Salbutamol aerosol inhaler;

Medical emergency?
Dosage?
Route?
Mechanism of action?

Answer 14

• Asthma
• 100mg
• Inhalation
• B2 agonist

Question 15

Adrenaline;

Medical emergency?
Dosage?
Route?
Mechanism of action?

Answer 15

• Anaphylaxis
• 0.5mg
• Intramuscular
• α receptor agonist

Question 16

Aspirin dispersable;

Medical emergency?
Dosage?
Route?
Mechanism of action?

Answer 16

• Myocardial infarction
• 300mg
• Oral
• Anti-platelet

Question 17

Glucagon;

Medical emergency?
Dosage?
Route?
Mechanism of action?

Answer 17

• Unconscious hypoglycaemia
• 1mg
• Intramuscular
• Glycogenolysis

Question 18

Midazolam;

Medical emergency?
Dosage?
Route?
Mechanism of action?

Answer 18

• Epilepsy
• 10mg/ml
• Buccal
• Muscle relaxant

Question 19

Oxygen;

Medical emergency? (6)
Dosage?
Route?

Answer 19

• Syncope, MI, stroke, anaphylaxis, epilepsy, Adrenal insufficiency
• 15L/min
• Inhalation

Question 20

What does the ABCDE approach stand for?

Answer 20

• Airway
• Breathing
• Circulation
• Disability
• Exposure

Question 21

During the ABCDE approach what do you need to look for in ‘Airways’

Answer 21

• Look for signs of airway obstruction
• In partial obstruction; wheeze or stirdor may be noticed
• In complete obstruction no breath sound is possible

Question 22

During the ABCDE approach what do you need to look for in ‘Breathing’

Answer 22

• General signs of respiratory distress
• Count respiratory rate
• Assess breath depth, respiration pattern (rhythm) and whether chest expansion is normal and equal on both sides

Question 23

During the ABCDE approach what do you need to look for in ‘Circulation’

Answer 23

• Check the colour of the hands and fingers

- Check limb temperature

Question 24

During the ABCDE approach what do you need to look for in ‘Disability’

Answer 24

• Examine pupil size
• Check patients conscience levels using AVPU
• Measure blood glucose

Question 25

What is AVPU used for? What does it stand for?

Answer 25

• Rapid initial assessment of the patient’s conscious level
• Alert
• Vocal stimuli
• Painful stimuli
• Unresponsive