The Systematic Approach to Medical Emergencies in Dental Practice

Using case studies to understand the signs and symptoms in medical emergencies has been found useful within the education sector of hospital settings. Now updated for the community, the case studies for varying medical emergencies will encourage practitioners to reflect on how they would respond to potential real emergencies with an interactive focus.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lecture delegates will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the following subject areas:

• Adult, child & infant CPR and choking
• Automated External Defibrillation
• Anaphylaxis
• Recognition and first aid of seizures, acute asthma, hypoglycaemia & other potential emergencies
• Safe delivery of oxygen and basic airway management

This session is intended to prepare staff for potential clinical emergencies in Dental practice, building on previous training and experience.

This talk satisfies the GDC’s learning outcomes:

• A – Effective communication with patients, the dental team, and others across dentistry, including when obtaining consent, dealing with complaints and raising concerns when patients are at risk
• B – Effective management of self and effective management of others or effective work with others in the dental team, in the interests of patients at all times; providing constructive leadership where appropriate
• C – Maintenance and development of knowledge and skill within your field of practice
• D – Maintenance of skills, behaviours and attitudes which maintain patient confidence in you and the dental profession and put patients’ interests first

Alice Gribble, Resuscitation Officer, University Hospital Southampton. Advanced Life Support and European Paediatric Advanced Life Support Instructor

Dani Tirel, Resuscitation Officer, University Hospital Southampton. Advanced Life Support and European Paediatric Advanced Life Support Instructor

Rebecca Peckham, Resuscitation Officer and Emergency Department Sister, University Hospital Southampton. Advanced Life Support and European Paediatric Advanced Life Support Course Director and GIC Instructor

Biography

Alice is a currently a Resuscitation Officer at University Hospital Southampton; responding to medical emergencies and cardiac arrests across the hospital. Alice initially started as a staff nurse on a surgical unit, but her main background is in intensive care nursing. She worked for 6 years on a General Intensive Care Unit, initially as a staff nurse and then a deputy sister. She instructs on both Adult and Paediatric advanced, immediate and basic life support courses.

Dani is a registered nurse working at Southampton General Hospital, a trauma centre in the South East. Dani has worked in Acute and Emergency Medicine for 6 years covering the Acute Medical Unit and the Emergency Department. For the past three years, Dani has been working as a Resuscitation Officer at Southampton Hospital; covering the emergency bleep for medical emergencies and cardiac arrests, whilst also teaching paediatric and adult advanced Life Support courses.

Rebecca works for Southampton General hospital as an Emergency Department Sister and Resuscitation Officer. She has been working within Emergency Medicine for 12 years. Rebecca deals with medical emergencies, the critically unwell and cardiac arrest patients daily as part of her role within ED and Resus Services. Alongside this Rebecca also teaches Resuscitation skills to hospital staff and is a course director for Advanced life support courses for both adults and children.