Emergency Kits Can Ease Panic When Seconds Count

Imagine this chaotic scene: a patient suddenly has an asthma attack. Knowing that every second counts, staff members race to find the inhaler, but wait! Confusion abounds. Is the inhaler stored with the masks, or was it relocated to another cabinet? And which room is the oxygen tank in? It’s a given that no 2 emergencies are ever alike, but if there’s any consistencies at all, it’s that they usually happen suddenly, and they’re almost always a surprise.

With today’s hectic workflows, it can be challenging for practices to handle unpredictable events that can quickly spiral into patient emergencies. The answer lies in having materials and protocols in place before an emergency happens. HealthFirst has that solution covered, with a full line of emergency preparedness kits and services.

“The time to practice for a medical emergency is not while it’s happening,” said Zev Schulhof, DMD, MD, an oral surgeon at North Jersey Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery who lectures worldwide on medical emergencies in the dental office. While many practices have storage bins or multiple cabinets dedicated to medical emergency supplies—including inhalers, syringes, bag-valve-masks, and drugs such as epinephrine, nitroglycerin, and naloxone, to name just a few—it can easily take several precious minutes to locate these life-saving tools. And especially during emergencies, seconds count. STAT KIT Emergency Medical Kits are designed to eliminate the confusion of trying to quickly locate supplies by including devices and medications in a single, well-organized mobile case.

Not ‘If' But ‘When’

“We don’t think much about it, because emergencies tend to be uncommon,” explained Dr. Schulhof. “But if you look at the statistics in a lifetime, even in a general dental office, there’s likely going to be a medical emergency. If you go by the numbers, that’s just a fact. However, especially if you’re doing sedation, you’re getting into a whole other level when you decrease a patient’s respiration. At that point, your risk is going to increase exponentially.”

HealthFirst Emergency Medical Kits range from basic medication kits to more advanced kits with medications and devices. All kits contain clearly labeled supplies, along with easy-to-understand emergency instructions. Dr. Schulhof’s practice uses HealthFirst’s Z-1000 Mobile ACLS Kit, a complete care system that features sections of supplies dedicated to airway, vitals, syringes, medications, and first aid. Practices have the option of adding an oxygen and defibrillation system, both of which can be conveniently stored on the kit, which includes wheels and a steering handle for fast, easy transport from operatory to operatory.

 Organized, Labeled Sections

“With HealthFirst kits, the tools and medications are neatly organized into separate sections, and there’s no more rummaging around for life-saving drugs or instruments. You simply just pull out the section or shell designed for that particular health issue, which is clearly labeled, and everything you need for that emergency is right there,” Dr. Schulhof shared. “That includes an instruction card, which is a critical item. Even the best of us can find it difficult when we're in a panic to remember the exact number of milligrams of succinylcholine that we need to draw if a patient develops, for example, a laryngospasm,” he added.

Dr. Schulhof remembers a recent patient who, unbeknownst to the dental staff, self-medicated with Valium prior to the dental treatment because of severe anxiety. The treatment required sedation, which coupled with her premedication, caused the patient to become apneic. Dr. Schulhof and his staff quickly rolled in their HealthFirst Stat Kit Z-1000 Mobile ACLS, and were able to reverse the patient.

“Every single patient that we put under anesthesia is a risk,” he explained. “And, as dentists and oral surgeons, we are the only specialty that is considered a ‘one provider' practitioner. This means we are doing both surgery and anesthesia simultaneously, so we always have to keep track of both those concerns.”

Smart Replenishing Service

In addition to the HealthFirst emergency medical kits, Dr. Schulhof values HealthFirst for its automatic replenishment service, powered through OnTraq, a cloud-based service that tracks and replenishes medical kit supplies so that practices never have to worry about monitoring medications and supplies for expiration dates. OnTraq automatically sends replacement items when existing supplies near their expiration date.

The combination of the organized medical kit and the replenishing service for expired items allows Dr. Schulhof and his staff to concentrate on providing superior patient care. In the end, though, Dr. Schulhof said it all comes down to preparation. “Being prepared gives you peace of mind,” he concluded.