Anaesthetising Dental Patients
A four week online tutored CPD course with Stacey Parker
Following completion of the tutored course, you now have unlimited lifetime access to the learning resources. These are provided for future reference only, and no further CPD hours may be claimed for reviewing the materials.
As RVN’s we can be involved with assisting the surgery for dental treatments, but more often our role within the dentistry suite falls into the role of monitoring and assisting with the anaesthesia plan for our dentistry procedures. This can be a daunting prospect with many factors to consider. This course will help reduce stress and increase confidence and positivity within the dental suite.
As RVN’s we are also in the perfect position to ensure a high standard of post operative care is provided to our patients, both within the hospital and when they are discharged into the care of their owners.
Week 1
Dentistry Analgesia
- Different analgesia drugs available
- Dose selection
- Routes of administration
- Drug combinations
- Local nerve blocks
- Sides effects of drugs
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, delegates should be able to:
- Assist the veterinary surgeon in selecting appropriate analgesic drugs for different oral surgeries
- Be aware of potential side effects of these drugs
- Alongside the veterinary surgeon, create a tailored drug protocol for each patient to go home with
- Comfortably calculate analgesic drugs at low doses
- Appreciate which drugs are suitable as a combination
- Understand the exclusion or reduced dose of some drugs, regarding co-morbidities
- Use pain scoring methods and understand what analgesia the patient may need
Week 2
Anaesthesia – Airway Security and Hypothermia
- How to maintain a patent airway
- Patient positioning
- To cuff or not to cuff?
- Causes of hypothermia
- Negative effects of hypothermia
- Preventing and treating hypothermia
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, delegates should be able to:
- Understand different styles of ET tubes and their benefits and potential negatives
- Understand appropriate ET tube cuff pressures and why this is so integral to protecting the airway
- Appreciate techniques to protect the airway
- Know the gold standard method to move patients under anaesthesia, whilst protecting their airway
- List the common causes of hypothermia
- Understand the negative effects of hypothermia
- Have practical knowledge on how to prevent and treat hypothermia
- Understand the risk of using some heating devices
Week 3
Anaesthesia – Managing Hypotension
- Causes of hypotension
- Negative side effects of hypotension
- How to obtain accurate blood pressure reading
- How to prevent hypotension
- Fluid therapy
- Anaesthesia drug choices
- The use of vasopressors and anticholinergics
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, delegates should be able to:
- Obtain accurate blood pressure readings for cats and dogs under general anaesthesia for dentistry
- Understand the limitations of blood pressure measurements and troubleshoot potential problems
- Know what is deemed as an appropriate blood pressure reading under general anaesthetic
- Know which drugs may interfere with maintaining blood pressure
- Understand what could happen to our patients if left hypotensive
- Feel more confident, alongside the veterinary surgeon, in making a treatment plan tailored to each individual patient, to treat any hypotensive episodes
Week 4
Post-operative Care
- Immediate post op care once extubated
- Care for patients in the recovery ward
- Discharge instructions
- Post op care at home
- Post op care checks
Learning objectives:
By the end of this week, delegates should be able to:
- Maintain and monitor a patent airway in the immediate post-operative period
- Understand the importance of close monitoring in recovery
- Create a post-operative plan tailored to each individual patient
- Feel confident to create discharge instructions for your patient
- Confidently communicate with the owner about the anaesthesia and surgery the patient has received
- Perform a thorough physical post-operative check, including the whole patient
- Understand the best dental care an owner can provide at home, along with alternative options if these goals cannot be met
CPD Course Content
Anaesthetising Dental Patients
Course progress
Online CPD for Vet Nurses
Excel CPD specialises in providing online CPD for veterinary nurses and technicians all over the globe. Our courses are also fully approved by AVNAT for our nursing colleagues in Australia and New Zealand.