In addition, this condition has occurred in patients taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, or beta-adrenergic receptor blockers for hypertension. Do States Require Continuing Education For Dentists? for more information.Hypoglycemia is associated with oral antidiabetic drugs. These associations are not always obvious, but the dentist should be attentive to the increased risk when patients are taking drugs in these therapeutic categories. Allergies must be covered in detail so the dentist is made aware of any known pre-existing allergies, either to environmental agents or medications. Allergic reactions in the dental office can result in serious life-threatening symptoms. Recognizing any predisposing history may prevent life-threatening emergencies from occurring. The patient’s history, general health, and current physical evaluation will indicate if the patient requires medical consultation. The decision to seek medical consultation should be documented in the patient’s record. The reason for the consultation as well as the outcome of such consultation should be clearly placed in the record so the dentist and staff are aware of the result at each subsequent visit. During the physical examination that the dentist provides for each new patient and every recall, vital signs including blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature should be recorded micro motor. Pulse oximetry also is a great adjunct since it gives you a baseline room air oxygenation saturation rate. This information should be available and readily accessible in every patient’s chart so if a medical emergency occurs, the dental team and EMS personnel can compare the status of the patient during the emergency with the baseline data. How to Prepare The ASA offers help in examining patients by providing its Physical Status Classification System: ASA I: A normal, healthy person ASA II: A person with a mild to moderate systemic disease that does not limit functionality, such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, essential hypertension, or bronchitis ASA III: A person with severe systemic disease that limits functionality, including uncontrolled hypertension, angina pectoris, a history of myocardial infarction, or poorly controlled diabetes melliyus ASA IV: A person with severe disease that is life-threatening with or without surgery, such as congestive heart failure, persistent angina pectoris, or advanced heart, renal, or pulmonary dysfunction ASA V: A moribund person who has a fatal condition such as a ruptured aortic abdominal aneurysm or pulmonary embolus and is not expected to survive without surgery Dentists who want to take emergency medicine coursework should look for classes that cover several key areas. For example, courses should review normal physiology with an emphasis on the systems that play important roles during a medical emergency, such as the peripheral nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological systems. Caregivers must know what happens where in the body so they know how to treat emergencies. Also, dentists should be aware of the six P’s of preparation for medical emergencies: Prevention: Complete a proper medical history on every patient who comes into the dental office. Be sure to update that history every time the patient visits you. Having your staff also check on this history may help you prevent a medical emergency. Personnel: Staffing requirements and task pre-assignments are imperative in every dental office. Your staff is valuable when a medical emergency happens, and resolving these emergencies should be team efforts. Products: Monitor your patients’ medications and airway adjuncts. Enough can’t be stated about having equipment such as a glucometer, an automated external defibrillator, an emergency drug kit, and proper airway equipment. If you are involved in any form of sedation or anesthesia, this equipment is a must. Protocols: Office manuals outlining planned responses to medical emergencies should be readily accessible by everyone in the office. A medical emergency plan or program should be developed and should remain an ongoing, continual process rather than an occasional event micro motors australia. A one-page document that substitutes for a medical emergency program is not going to be sufficient for the team to be fully ready for a medical emergency. Practice: Ongoing training and review should occur in every dental office. With the many medical emergencies that could happen, you must stay up to date to provide proper care. You can’t accomplish successful results with training once a year. The members of your team need to practice monthly and take their roles very seriously. Pharmaceuticals: Having the proper medication on hand will serve you best when a medical emergency occurs. There are specific medications that should be present in all dental offices unique to different emergencies. You and your staff should always know the location of these emergency medications. Also, never keep any expired drugs. Use an automatic renewal system so your drugs stay current. By taking the six P’s of preparation seriously, your team can prevent the seventh P, which is panic. Panic doesn’t do anyone any good during a chaotic event like a medical emergency. When you panic, you’re going to forget what to do. When you forget, you risk your patient’s life. Or to put it another way: