Question

Lindsey T. is a 12 year old middle school student who was diagnosed with clonic-tonic seizures 6 months ago. Although she has always performed well in school, she has started having difficulty in her classes because she is falling asleep in class and has trouble concentrating. Her mother complains that she is "not her usual self" and seems listless and depressed. She recently went for her regular dental checkup and had five new carious lesions, although she has always had good checkups before. She is taking carbamazepine chewable tablets four times a day to manage her seizure disorder but still has seizures when she has her menstrual cycle or is under a lot of stress.

Lindsey is in the middle of her prophylaxis in the hygienist's dental chair when she experiences a clonic-tonic seizure. Which actions are appropriate for the dental hygienist to take?
A. Inserting a tongue blade into the patient's mouth
B. Obtaining a thorough medical history to determine type, duration, and frequency of seizures
C. Moving Lindsey to the floor if possible and tilting her head to the side
D. Removing any items from her mouth to prevent aspiration
E. All of the above
F. B, C, and D
G. A, B, and C

Answer 1

During a clonic-tonic seizure, the dental hygienist should not insert a tongue blade but should remove any items from Lindsey's mouth, move her to the floor if possible, and tilt her head to the side.

Step-by-step explanation:

If Lindsey T., a 12 year old middle school student, experiences a clonic-tonic seizure, the dental hygienist should take specific actions to ensure her safety. Firstly, inserting a tongue blade into the patient's mouth is not recommended as it could cause injury. Instead, removing any items from her mouth is a critical step to prevent aspiration. Furthermore, while obtaining a thorough medical history can be beneficial, it is not a priority during an active seizure. Instead, moving Lindsey to the floor if possible, to prevent her from falling and injuring herself, and tilting her head to the side can help to manage her airway and prevent the inhalation of secretions. Consequently, the correct actions for the dental hygienist to take would be options B, C, and D.