Medical Emergencies Part 1 – CORE CPD for Dentists – PDP241
Description
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CPD for all Dental professionals – without getting bored!
Do you know exactly what to do if a patient faints in your chair?
Could you spot the early signs of anaphylaxis—before it’s too late?
How quickly could you find and deliver adrenaline if it really mattered?
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https://youtu.be/7b2oG4g12q0
After six years of podcasting and creating CPD, we’re finally tackling medical emergencies the Protrusive way. In this two-part series, Jaz is joined by lead nurse and medical emergencies educator Rachel King Harris, who breaks down the real-life scenarios every dental team needs to prepare for—without the fluff or generic lecture feel.
From vasovagal syncope to adrenaline protocols, you’ll learn how to stay calm, think clearly, and take action when it matters most. By the end of this episode (and the next), you’ll not only tick the box for your GDC-required CPD—you’ll actually feel ready.
Because when emergencies happen in the chair, panic isn’t a plan. Let’s get you prepared.
Protrusive Dental Pearl: Be emergency-ready! Download a free medical emergencies cheat sheet — a quick guide for symptoms, drugs, and actions during a crisis. You can download this ready-made cheat sheet for free at protrusive.co.uk/me. Print it, laminate it, and pop it into your medical kit. Your whole team will thank you!
Need to Read it? Check out the Full Episode Transcript below!
Key Takeaways:
- Medical emergencies in dentistry are rare but high-stakes — being prepared is essential.
- Guidelines change often — regular refreshers are vital.
- You don’t need to memorise everything — use validated resources and calm judgment.
- Vasovagal Syncope is the most common emergency in dental settings.
- If unconsciousness persists → consider other causes: meds, blood sugar, cardiac issues.
- Anaphylaxis can occur even without rash — don’t wait for it.
- Key signs: stridor, lip/tongue swelling, wheeze, “impending doom,” difficulty breathing.
- Keep emergency drug guides visible and updated (e.g., BDA laminated sheets).
- Ampules = longer shelf life, more doses than EpiPens, and more cost-effective.
- Don’t wait for the rash — airway signs matter most in anaphylaxis.
- Always carry two adrenaline auto-injectors — even for mild allergy patients.
Highlights of this episode:
- 00:00 TEASER
- 00:53 INTRO
- 04:50 Protrusive Dental Pearl
- 06:01 Meet Rachel King Harris: Expert in Medical emergencies
- 09:42 Practical Tips for Emergencies
- 12:05 Understanding Vasavagal Syncope
- 17:01 GTN Spray
- 20:09 Recognizing and managing Anaphylaxis
- 30:05 Midroll
- 33:26 Recognizing and managing Anaphylaxis
- 34:41 Allergic Reaction to Chlorhexidine Gel
- 37:27 What’s Inside Emergency Bag?
- 41:51 Adrenaline Ampules vs Auto-Injectors
- 52:04 Oxygen Administration In Dental Practices
- 57:13 Oxygen and Emergency tools
- 59:05 Oxygen Contraindication
- 1:06:37 Outro
Stay up to date by reviewing the latest guidelines from the Resuscitation Council UK.
Check out this Anaphylaxis Summary Document
Enjoyed this one? Make sure to check out PDP159 – How to Manage Children in Dental Pain, where we dive into real-life paediatric emergencies in dentistry.
This episode is eligible for 1 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.
This episode meets GDC Outcomes C and D.
AGD Subject Code: 142 Medical emergency training and CPR
Aim:To improve the preparedness and confidence of dental professionals in recognising and managing common medical emergencies in the dental setting, with an emphasis on vasovagal syncope, anaphylaxis, and appropriate use of emergency medications and equipment.
Dentists will be able to –
- Identify early signs and symptoms of vasovagal syncope and anaphylaxis in a dental setting.
- Apply appropriate first-aid management protocols, including patient positioning, airway support, and oxygen delivery.
- Understand the updated guidelines for prioritising adrenaline over antihistamines or steroids in anaphylaxis management.
#PDPMainEpisodes #BreadandButterDentistry
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Click below for full episode transcript:
Teaser: When you faint, essentially your blood pressure drops. So that quick event that happens, what you need to do is actually try and I know, I don't know whether your dentistry bed's tilt, but tilting is actually the best.
Teaser:
So you want their head down, if the bed’s not quick enough getting up or it’s not working or whatever, you actually can just manually lift the legs and hold them up or get their relative, if they’ve got a relative in with them or somebody that’s come in and then just keep them like that until they come round.
When histamine is released into the patient, they get widespread vasodilation and bronchoconstriction. So those two things combined is a bit of a car crash. Even 0.5 because really you’re going to get an ambulance within five minutes.
It’s true, you’re not though. You need to be carrying two at all times and people don’t. And particularly if you’re teenagers, you know you’ve got a handbag that doesn’t fit it. It’s tricky I actually think that in a medical center am feels better-
Jaz’s Introduction:
When you are dealing with a medical emergency in your chair. That stuff can get really scary for dentists. It’s not pleasant to have to deal with it, but we need to be sharp, we need to know exactly what to do because our patient’s life actually depends on this.
This is why it’s a legal requirement in the UK and probably around the world to do medical emergencies training every year, and I’m proud that after six years of podcasting and creating CPD, we can finally now cover this topic in the true protrusive way, and now give you core CPD or CE credits.
The GDC recommends 2 hours per year and in a five year cycle, that means 10 hours of medical emergencies training for the dental team, and this is mandatory. Now, most practices arrange some sort of group session where they’re doing simulation and hands-on CPR, which is amazing, but sometimes we’re left to our own devices and we’re watching these little bit slightly boring videos and lectures online. Always scrambling to buddy up with a neighboring practice to actually get this training done on time.
Now, in this episode, I’ve got a Lead nurse, an educator in medical emergencies. Her name is Rachel King Harris, and one of her roles as well as working in acute medicine is to teach dental teams everything they need to know about their medical emergence training every year. So I’m proud to say that after listening to this Part 1 and the next episode, you’ll give a massive tick box for your annual requirement of CPD.
But the key thing is that you do it in a true protrusive way. We’re going to make it tangible. I’m hoping that Rachel and I, and mostly Rachel, we’ll present things in a way that it actually sticks. Sometimes when the patient is feeling unwell in your chair, we start to get a bit of panic and confusion. Is this just a Vasovagal Syncope or could there be something going on with the patient’s heart?
Is this an anaphylaxis? Should I be giving oxygen? All these questions can come at you a million miles an hour, and you have palpitations and you’re sweating, and medical emergencies are just no fun to deal with.
But after today and the next episode, you’re going to smash your annual requirement of CPD and in a way that you’re going to retain this information because every episode we make some premium notes and we just deliver it in a way that’s a bit easier to listen to, it’s not someone lecturing at you.
You are there by osmosis absorbing these things. And I really told Rachel, I told her I want to create a really compelling piece of content for the dental team. Which makes it tangible and relatable
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