BASIC GUIDE TO MEDICAL EMERGENCIES IN THE DENTAL PRACTICE

Contents Foreword by Karen Elley ix Acknowledgements x 1 Medical emergencies and resuscitation in the dental practice: an overview 1 Introduction 1 Concept of the chain of survival 2 Incidence of medical emergencies in dental practice 3 General Dental Council guidelines on medical emergencies 5 Resuscitation Council (UK) statement 5 ABCDE assessment of the sick patient 7 Medical risk assessment in general dental practice 8 Principles of safer handling during cardiopulmonary resuscitation 10 Procedure for calling 999 for an ambulance 11 Conclusion 13 References 13 2 Resuscitation equipment in the dental practice 15 Introduction 15 Recommended minimum resuscitation equipment in the dental practice 16 Checking resuscitation equipment and drugs 20 Checking resuscitation equipment following use 22 Conclusion 23 References 23 3 Recognition of the sick patient: the ABCDE approach 24 Introduction 24 Clinical signs of acute illness 24 The ABCDE approach 25 General principles of the ABCDE approach 26 The ABCDE approach to the sick patient 27 Principles of pulse oximetry 32 Procedure for administering oxygen to the acutely ill patient 37 Procedure for recording blood pressure 40