- An electrocardiograph.
- A defibrillator.
4.7.7 Emergency drugs for medically qualified and/or specially trained staff
- Adrenaline 1 : 10, 000 (10 ml vials).
- Atropine 1 mg/10 ml (10 ml vials).
- Calcium chloride 10% (10 ml vials).
- Lignocaine 100 mg/10 ml (1%) (10 ml vials).
- Isoprenaline 0.2 mg/ml (10 ml vials).
- Frusemide 80 mg/8 ml (8 ml vials).
- Sodium bicarbonate 8.4% (50 ml vials).
- Glucose 50% (50 ml vials).
- Naloxone 4 mg/ml (1 ml vials).
- Aminophylline 250 mg/10 ml (10 ml vials).
- Diazemuls 10 mg/2 ml (2 ml vials).
- Flumazenil 500 ug/5 ml (5 ml vials).
Many of these drugs are available in prefilled syringes. It is the responsibility of the
dentist to ensure the availability of the drugs required by the medical staff who may
be called to deal with an emergency. Equally, it is the responsibility of the same
medical staff to advise the dental surgeon of his or her precise requirements with
regard to emergency drugs. This advice must be in writing. These can be reviewed by
reading the following: European Resuscitation Council (1992). Guidelines for basic
and advanced life support. Resuscitation, 24 , 103-10.
Key Points
- Dental surgeons and their staff should at least be capable of providing basic life
support:
-Airways;
-Breathing;
-Circulation;
-ABC. - The dental team should have at least yearly basic life support training.
- The dental surgeon is responsible for ensuring the readiness of emergency
equipment and drugs.