Speakers: Elizabeth Kornegay, RDH, CDA, MSDH and Jennifer Harmon, RDH, MSDH

Program Track: Clinical Practice

Course Description: The basic principles for prevention and treatment of medical emergencies apply to treating patients in all dental care practice settings. Dental professionals need to be prepared to identify high-risk patients, assess pertinent clinical signs and symptoms, and render effective stabilizing treatment until qualified medical assistance arrives. Whether you practice in a traditional setting or in a specialty practice, this course is designed to review basic principles of risk reduction, patient assessment and treatment options for selected emergency situations. Case studies will be reviewed to help participants understand how to deal with patients who present with common dental office emergencies. Related risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, drug interactions and hypoglycemia will be emphasized.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the etiology, symptoms, and preferred treatment for common dental office emergencies (i.e. syncope, postural hypotension, aspiration or swallowing a foreign object).
• Discuss ways to prevent and prepare for dental office medical emergencies.
• Discuss stages of appropriate response to a medical emergency.

CE Credit Hours: 2.0

Original Date of Session: 23 June 2019

The American Dental Hygienists' Association is designated as an approved provider by the American Academy of Dental Hygiene, Inc. #AADHADH (Jan. 1, 2022–Dec. 31, 2022). Approval does not imply acceptance by a state or provincial Board of Dentistry. Licensee should maintain this document in the event of an audit.

The American Dental Hygienists’ Association is an approved provider of dental continuing education as recognized by the Dental Board of California, Provider #5238.