Emergency equipment and medications
How would you manage a medical emergency in your surgery? Are you confident the practice has the necessary equipment, medicaments and training to effectively assess and manage a patient having a medical episode?
Current guidance indicate all practices must have:
- A medical emergency plan
- The emergency phone number (000) prominently displayed
- The nearest medical facility phone number prominently displayed
Did you know that the technique employed to resuscitate an unconscious patient is based on evolving evidence and the guidelines are updated from time to time? This is one of the reasons why safe management of emergency situations requires regular updates – preferably through attendance at a face-to-face course where you will be able to practice and hone your life-saving abilities. Another good reason to refresh your skills is to reinforce the practical steps you would work through in such a situation.
How often should I attend medical emergency training?
All Dental Practitioners have a professional obligation to maintain competency in basic life support and medical emergency management. However, every dental practice will be unique in terms of the age/fitness levels of your patient base, where you are located (what is the ambulance response time in your area?), the types of treatments you perform (surgical/invasive) and in the types of medicaments you prescribe or administer to your patients. These factors will influence how likely it will be that a medical emergency will arise and how often training is needed.
What equipment and medicaments should I keep in the surgery?
The management of medical emergencies should follow the current guidelines issued by the Australian Resuscitation Council and those described in the most recent edition of Therapeutic Guidelines – Oral and Dental (version 3) pp233-259. The Therapeutic Guidelines provides guidance on which drugs and equipment you may need to keep on site to effectively manage medical emergencies (p234). Don’t forget that all medications have a limited shelf life and it is important to ensure the medicaments in your kit are stored correctly and replaced when they reach their expiry date.
Where can I go for practical courses and training?
ADA SA regularly run refresher courses to help you update and hone your skills via face to face training: Event List (adasa.asn.au). A medical emergency requires a whole-of-team approach and it is therefore a good idea to involve all key staff members in the practice in your training updates. If you have any questions or concerns about any aspect of medical emergencies, please don’t hesitate to contact Dr Jane Pinchback via [email protected]
Article by ADA SA Peer Advisor, Dr Jane Pinchback