Emergency resuscitation in dental practice

Abstract

The number of elderly patients aged 65 years or older who visit a dental clinic on a daily basis increased from 21% in 1996 to 45% in 2009. Nowadays, probably half of the patients who visit a dental clinic on a daily basis are aged 65 years or older. Many of the elderly are sick with various diseases, such as lifestyle-related diseases, and the presence of such risk factors may lead to a sudden emergency in the patient's general condition during dental treatment. The probability of sudden change in a patient's general condition during dental treatment and required lifesaving treatment will certainly increase. Currently, 5 to 10 dental treatment related deaths are annually reported. The characteristics of deaths are heart failure and cerebrovascular disease in middle-aged and elderly patients, and choking in young children. Few of these cases are directly related to medication. As such, it is important to learn CPR and AED operation for adults, and CPR and removal of foreign objects from the airway for infants, in order to provide safe and secure dental treatment.