I Want My Mommy! (“Somebody Call 911…”): What’s In Your Medical Emergency Kit & Why?

Medical emergencies are defined as any condition that if left untreated may lead to patient morbidity or mortality. However if your definition of an emergency is any condition of a patient that raises your blood pressure or pulse rate - then you need to take this course.

Medical emergencies happen. Studies estimate that on average a practitioner will be faced with a medical emergency in the dental office at least once every two years. Some of these occurrences can be minor; some of these situations can be life-threatening. The good news for practitioners is that 75% of emergencies can be mitigated with good local anesthesia (pain control) and good stress reduction (sedation). For those few instances when an appropriate response could be life-saving, each practitioner must be prepared with a properly equipped emergency drug kit. The purpose of the course is to emphasize patient safety, and educate you on the seven essential drugs you must be familiar with to manage any medical emergency. Even though the right answer always includes dialing 9-1-1, you can start the chain of survival in your office.