Medical emergency equipment

To enable you to deal with medical emergencies, ensure that you have immediate access to the following equipment recommended by the Resuscitation Council (UK) [1] and in the Scottish Government’s Emergency Drugs and Equipment in Primary Dental Care [2]:

• Portable oxygen cylinder (see Medical Emergency Drugs) with pressure reduction valve and flowmeter.
• Oxygen face mask capable of delivering high concentrations of oxygen (reservoir bag) with tubing (for breathing patients).
• Oropharyngeal airways (sizes 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4).
• Pocket mask with oxygen port (for non-breathing patients, for use by a single operator), available in each treatment area.
• Self-inflating bags with oxygen reservoir, adult and child sizes (for non-breathing patients).
• Clear face masks for attaching to self-inflating bag, adult and child sizes.
• Portable suction (independently powered) with appropriate suction catheters and tubing (NB: the suction catheters are manufacturer specific).
• Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
  • AEDs can be registered with the national defibrillator network, the circuit, so that in the event of a medical emergency near the practice, the ambulance service control system call handler will know that a defibrillator is available in the practice. Depending on how the AED was procured, this may be a local health board requirement [2].
• Adhesive defibrillator pads, razor and scissors.
  • A spare set of pads is also recommended.
• Single-use sterile syringes (1 ml) and blue (23G, 25 mm) or green (21G, 38 mm) needles.
• ‘Spacer’ device for inhaled bronchodilators.