Editorial Type:
Article Category: Case Report
 | 
Online Publication Date: 28 Mar 2023

Sudden Cardiac Arrest in a Dental Patient Awaiting Examination

MD,
DDS, and
DDS, PhD
Page Range: 25 – 30
DOI: 10.2344/anpr-69-04-05
Save
Download PDF

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is an uncommon event in dental practice; however, the frequency of dentists encountering SCA and other major medical emergencies is increasing. We report the successful resuscitation of a patient who developed SCA while awaiting examination and treatment at a dental hospital. The emergency response team was called upon, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation/basic life support (CPR/BLS), including chest compression and mask ventilation, was promptly initiated. An automated external defibrillator was used, which indicated that the patient's cardiac rhythm was unsuitable for electrical defibrillation. The patient returned to spontaneous circulation after 3 cycles of CPR and intravenous epinephrine. The knowledge and skill levels of dentists regarding resuscitation under emergency circumstances should be addressed. Emergency response systems must be well established, and CPR/BLS knowledge and training should be updated regularly, including optimal management of both shockable and nonshockable rhythms.

Copyright: © 2023 by the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology

Contributor Notes

Address correspondence to Dr Ryo Wakita, Department of Dental Anesthesiology and Orofacial Pain Management, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan; ryoanph@tmd.ac.jp.
Received: 05 Nov 2021
Accepted: 16 Sept 2022
  • Download PDF