pt evaluation and risk assessment Flashcards
longer life expectancy and its effect on practice
Dentistry and medicine today are different
➢ People live longer = more elderly patients
➢ People receive medical treatments for disorders that would be fatal a just a few
years ago
➢ Pharmaceuticals continue to advance
effect of increased conditions, tx’s, and the complexity of them
The greater the number and the more complex the conditions and the more
medications that are used to manage these conditions are all proportional the combinations and permutations of dental treatments for our patients
what must dentists be knowledgeable of regarding new medical conditions?
The dentist must now be more knowledgeable about a wider range of medical conditions as patients receive dental treatment
➢ Many chronic disorders or their treatments necessitate what?
historic examples?
➢ Many chronic disorders or their treatments necessitate modification
of dental treatment
➢ Hepatitis –1982 -gloves
➢ AIDS –1990 - PPE
➢ COVID-19 –2019 –PPE and vaccines
how must clinicians practice relative to med complications?
Clincians must practice so that the benefit of dental treatment will outweigh the risk(s) of a medical complication occurring either during treatment or as a result of treatment.
(Pre-operative, Intra-operative, and Post-operative Considerations)
medical consults
we propose the dental tx to the MD to see if it is deemed the pt cna tolerate it
Paul Dudley White MD
ushered in the era of modern cardiology and pt evaluation
Organized Risk Assessment factors
(Dental Care)
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Drug Effects (adverse effects, timing, etc.)
- Ability to Tolerate Care (CV –Resp –Psych)
general pnemonic for risk assessment
start with P then go ABC’s to F
patient evaluation components
through assessment, inform pt of findings
Adjunctive Tests
& Procedures with pt evaluation
- Refer
- Imaging
- Histopathology
- Microbiology
- Labs
- Anesthesia
- Molecular biology
- Sequencing
patient evaluation
* Identify ALL?
* Review?
* Examine patient for?
* Review or gather?
* Obtain a? when to do this?
P- patient evaluation
* Identify ALL medications & drugs, taken or supposed to be taken
* Review medical history, discuss relevant issues with patient
* Examine patient for signs and symptoms of disease
* Review or gather recent laboratory tests or images
* Obtain a medical consult:
If patient has a poorly controlled or undiagnosed problem or If you’re uncertain about the patient’s health
A of pt evaluation
determine use of this or contraindications
- Allergies
- Is the patient allergic to drugs or substances that may be used or prescribed?
Anxiety
- Will the patient need or benefit from a sedative or anxiolytic?
- Antibiotics
- Will the patient need antibiotics?
- Is the patient taking an antibiotic?
- Analgesics
- Is the patient taking aspirin or NSAIDs that can increase bleeding?
- Will analgesics be needed post-treatment?
- Anesthesia
- Are there concerns using a local with or without epinephrine?
B of pt evaluation
breathing, bleeding, BP
- Bleeding
- Is abnormal hemostasis possible?
- Breathing
- Does the patient have difficulty breathing or is the patient’s breathing fast or slow?
- Blood pressure
- Is the patient’s BP well controlled or is it possible it may increase/decrease during dental treatment
C of pt evaluation
- Chair position
- Can the patient tolerate a supine or (horizontal) position?
- Is the patient going to have a problem being raised quickly, after treatment?
D of pt evaluation
Drugs
* Any drug interactions, adverse effects, or allergies associated with drugs being currently being taken or drugs that the dentist may prescribe or use?
Devices
* Does the patient have prosthetic or therapeutic device that may require tailored management?
* e.g., prosthetic heart valve, prosthetic joint, stent, pacemaker, defibrillator
E of pt evaluation
Equipment:
* Any potential issues with the use of dental equipment?
* e.g.: X-ray machine, electrocautery, oxygen supply, ultrasonic cleaner, apex locator.
Emergencies:
* Are there medical emergencies that can be anticipated or prevented by modifying care?
* e.g: MI, stroke, asthma, uncontrollable bleeding
F of pt evaluation
post-op instructions>?
contact pt?
- Follow up
- Is any follow up care indicated?
- e.g.: post-op analgesics, antibiotics, anxiety
- Post-op instructions for home care ALWAYS and prescriptions when necessary
- Should the patient be contacted at home to assess post-treatment response
simple rule with LA (Dr.A doesnt follow this)
If a local anesthetic(s) are used on a patient and there was bleeding during the appointment, the patient should be contacted that evening or the following day
what Must be taken for every patient who is to receive dental treatment?
medical Hx
Two basic techniques used to obtain a medical history
➢ Interview the patient
➢ Ask patient questions, record the patient’s verbal responses (axiUM at UMKC)
➢ A printed questionnaire the patient fills out
how are medical hx questions designed
Questions are designed to identify or hint to medical issues that may affect dental teatment
med hx vs ROS
- Medical History is different from Review of Systems (ROS)
- MED history = patient has already been diagnosed or,
patient presents with information needing a diagnosis - The point of a ROS is to screen for potential new diseases
- Screening through signs and symptoms with a systems-based approach
- Findings may be consistent with a particular systemic disease, but you will not diagnose
- Physician’s role →further examine, request labs, diagnose
- Referral consultation letter →express findings, concerns and a basis for ROS
ROS; functional capacity
It is important to ask some screening questions. Does the pt have the ability to engage in normal day-to-day physical activity?
➢ Ability to perform common daily tasks can be expressed in metabolic equivalent levels (METs)
➢ Higher MET = better physical condition
MET
A MET is a unit of oxygen consumption
➢ 1 MET equals 3.5 mL of oxygen per kg of body weight per minute at
rest
MET scale
Asking a patient, “Can you walk up two flights of stairs without
having to catch your breath” can indicate general cardiovascular
and/or pulmonary health.
T/F?
true
determining if allergies mentioned are really allergies?
Not all ”allergies” are (true) allergies➢ If a patient responds “yes” when asked if allergic to a particular substance the mandatory follow-up question is “ what happens?”
True allergy rxns
➢ Anaphylaxis
➢ Itching
➢ Urticaria (hives)
➢ Rash
➢ Swelling
➢ Wheezing
➢ Angioedema
➢ Rhinorrhea
➢ Tearing eye
Intolerance or an adverse side effect (not allergies), still serious?
oNausea
oVomiting
oDiarrhea
oHeart palpitations
oFainting
STILL SERIOUS
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV infection can have manifestations in the oral
cavity
➢ Dentist may be the first to identify these conditions
➢ Some STD’s including HIV infection, hepatitis B and C, and syphllis, can be transmitted to the dentist through direct contact with oral lesions or infected blood
➢ Chlamydial genitalia infection (Chlamydia trachomatis) is the single most common STD in the US.
Exogenous Steroids use and implication
Cortisone and prednisone are examples of steroids that are used to treat many diseases
➢ They are important because their use can result in adrenal
insufficiency and the patient is unable to mount a normal response to the stress of an infection or invasive dental procedure, e.g., extractions
or periodontal surgery.
Previous Operations & Hospitalizations
why is this good to know?
History of hospitalizations can provide clues to past illnesses that may have current significance
➢ An INDIRECT aspect of your evaluation but an effective way to identify a current condition
History of hospitalizations include diagnosis, tx, and
complications
➢ Operations; reason for procedures must always be asked; any emergencies; post-op bleeding; infection; drug allergy should be ascertained
Pregnancy
➢ Caution is warranted with:
Good oral hygiene?
the safest time to provide dental treatment?
Radiography?
Women who are or might be pregnant may need special consideration in dental management
➢ Caution is warranted with:
*radiography
*drug administration
*timing of dental treatment
Good oral hygiene is important during pregnancy
2nd trimester is the safest to provide dental treatment
Radiography for urgent care only
Substance Use, Misuse and Abuse
Pt’s with a hx of IV drug use increased risk for?
Rx’s?
contraindicated with meth/coke?
trust?
Pt’s with a hx of IV drug use increased risk for infectious diseases like: Hepatitis B, C, HIV/AIDS, and infective endocarditis
Narcotic and sedative meds should be Rx’d with great caution or not at all
➢ Risk of triggering a relapse
Vasoconstrictors should be avoided for cocaine and methamphetamine users
➢ These agents may precipitate arrhythmias, severe hypertension, MI, and Stroke
This portion of the patient interview →PROFESSIONAL TRUST
Alcohol consumption
risk for?
may lead to?
ask what?
- Risk factor for many cancers and other diseases (CV, bleeding, hepatic)
- May lead to liver cirrhosis, many complications
- Ask how many standard drinks week
standard measurements of alc drinks
pt may have different idea
Tobacco
risk of?
ask what?
Risk factor for many cancers and other diseases (especially oral cancer)
* Ask type of tobacco and frequency and establish cumulative risk, current and past (for how many years)
figures to determine
➢ Cigarettes:
➢ Smokeless tobacco:
➢ Hookah:
➢ E-cigarettes:
➢ Cigarettes: packs/day ( 1 pack = 20 cigarettes)
➢ Smokeless tobacco: cans/week
➢ Hookah: hours/week
➢ E-cigarettes: cartridges/week
Social Parameters in pt eval
- Occupation –looking for environmental/occupation risk
- Marital status - social support
- Children