Medical emergencies can — and do — occur in the practice of dentistry. Preparing in advance for potentially life-threatening situations will better enable the office staff to respond quickly and appropriately when they occur. In this article, the four steps of preparation will be reviewed: 1) Basic life support training for all staff members; 2) dental office emergency response team; 3) access to emergency medical services (EMS), and 4) emergency drugs and equipment. Following a review of the basic management of all medical emergencies, specific situations are presented from the perspective of their presenting signs and symptoms: unconsciousness; altered consciousness; respiratory distress; seizures; chest pain; and drug-related emergencies (allergy and overdose).,After completing this article, the reader will be able to:,1. List and describe the steps in preparation of a dental office recognizing and effectively managing medical emergencies;
2. List the drugs and items of emergency equipment recommended for inclusion in the basic emergency kit;
3. Describe each of the steps in the algorithm for management of medical emergencies; and
4. Discuss the management of medical emergencies and give examples where appropriate.
