Why Do AED Pads Expire? The Shocking Truth.

Close up of Defibrillator "shock" button.

Actually, it's not that shocking...but it is the truth! Here's why your AED pads expire.

Not many things are more frustrating than your medical equipment & emergency drugs expiring.

You spend A LOT of money to keep your patients safe, but having to throw away equipment without it ever being opened is galling.

But why do those items expire?

It stands to reason that emergency drugs have expiries as they become less effective & sometimes dangerous over time.

But what about equipment? Surely there's no reason for AED pads to go out of date is there...?

Well actually, there's a perfectly good reason why they expire - let's see why...

The Lifespan of a Defib Pad

The pads that come with your AED are sealed in a packet & likely already attached to your defibrillator ready for use. But they can only be used once.

Once opened & used, they need to be disposed of due to (among other things) the adhesive gel that sticks the pads to a patient's chest losing it's stickiness.

After approximately 2 years, even without use, the gel begins to naturally break down, lose it's adhesion & potentially begin to peel away from the pad itself.

For a defibrillator to effectively analyse your patient, the pads must make a strong connection directly with their skin. If the adhesion of the pads has broken down, the AED won't be able to analyse the patient's heart rhythm effectively.

Using out of date pads reduces the chance of your defibrillator working effectively when you need it most. So assessing your AED regularly as part of your overall drug & equipment checks is absolutely essential.

All Is Not Lost

But before you throw away those expired paid - WAIT!

Rather than throw them away, you can help us to reduce waste!

Expired AED pads could be used for CPR & AED training. We're always happy to take out of date pads off your hands as we can often re-use them as part of your practice training scenarios with trainer AEDs.

If you have any out of date pads contact us & we can arrange collection or take them at your next CPR & Medical Emergencies training session.

P.S. - Need to book in your Dental CPR & Medical Emergency training? You can now complete your booking via our customer form HERE

3 Ways to Prepare For Medical Emergencies During Dental Sedation.

Is your dental team ready for sedation?

Insertion of an i-gel airway into a manikin

If you're utilising sedation in your practice, your team need to be fully prepared to meet your duty of care if your patient becomes unwell.

Serious about managing sedation?

Here are 3 areas to consider:

1. Increased Risk of Medical Emergencies

Your team needs to be able to manage the additional risks associated with sedation including: -

Airway obstruction
Complete loss of airway
General difficulty maintaining an airway.
Respiratory Depression
Loss of Consciousness

Your team must be confident & ready for such complications & fully understand their role in an emergency. To do this, they'll need regular, dental specific ILS (Immediate Life Support) training.

2. Additional ILS Training in Practice

As well as training in the delivery of sedation, your entire sedation team must have ILS training as per the Intercollegiate Advisory Committee on Sedation in Dentistry (IACSD) Standards for Conscious Sedation in the provision of Dental Care 2015.

As a professional dental team that cares for your patients, your training has to suit your environment. You need dental specific, scenario-based ILS training that prepares you for an emergency above the level of basic CPR & AED training.

Training should leave your team feeling confident & prepared for managing an emergency. There's specific equipment & techniques that must be practiced to achieve this including the use of oropharyngeal, nasopharyngeal & I-gel airways.

Understanding the role & responsibility of each member of the team is also key & should form part of your training. You should have dental specific, scenario-based ILS training that prepares your team for an emergency during conscious sedation in your setting.

Although Dental ILS training is annual, your team should complete training as regularly as is required to remain competent & confident to keep your patients safe.

3. Emergency Action Plan

Have you identified the risks & taken action to minimise them?

Review your practice response to a medical emergency & produce an emergency action plan that includes:

Communication – Do you have a system for calling for help throughout the practice and calling for further medical support if needed?
Emergency Equipment- Is all your emergency medical equipment up to date and are all staff fully familiar with each item and the location where it is kept, including oxygen delivery?
Emergency Drugs – Are your emergency drugs current, in date with doses clearly identified and staff familiar with their location and use.
Roles and responsibilities – Do all staff know what is expected of them if a patient is taken unwell in the practice. Understanding the roles & responsibilities of each member of the team is also key & should form part of your training.

These Are Just the Basics

These are just some of the things you need to think about when delivering sedation. For more information, the IACSD provide guidance in all aspects of sedation in dentistry here.

P.S - If you need further information on ILS training for your dentistry team, we're here to help. Click Here to book or find out more.

Anaphylaxis v Swelling in Dentistry-Can You Tell the Difference?

3 ways to tell the difference between swelling from extraction vs anaphylaxis.

Purple-gloved hand holing an adrenaline auto-injector preparing to administeradrenaline

Picture the scene: Your patient's had a successful extraction but complains about some discomfort & swelling after completion. It's to be expected after the fairly brutal process & dose of anaesthetic.

But suddenly they start to sound raspy & before you know it, they're struggling to breathe.

Your patient has suffered an anaphylactic reaction & their life's now in your hands.

How were you to know? Could you have spotted the problem sooner?

How to Tell the Difference

You won't always be able to detect early subtle signs & symptoms of anaphylaxis immediately, but let's look at the key things to consider.

1. Localised v Systemic Swelling

Following an extraction or invasive dental work, patients might experience some swelling in & around the area it was carried out.

The key difference is that anaphylaxis a systemic reaction affecting multiple systems in the body. This often means swelling in other areas away from the site of treatment.

Look for puffiness & swelling around the eyes & lips externally - areas that shouldn't be affected by the treatment you've given.

2. Changes in the Skin

Following invasive treatment, your patient may experience some minor bruising or redness around the area of treatment.

The skin is another organ often affected by an anaphylactic reaction. A rash can be a common sign of anaphylaxis. This is something you can look out for particularly following local anaesthetic & may even appear as you assess the patient.

The rash is often raised hives (urticaria), red & very itchy/uncomfortable for the patient. It can be present all over the body but often on the patients hands, arms & face (particularly around the eyes).

3. Internal Discomfort

This will initially be the most difficult symptom to detect particularly following local anaesthetic. While numbness & some discomfort is expected, the airway & ability to breath shouldn't be affected.

Swelling of the tongue & airway is a serious sign of anaphylaxis especially if it affects the patient's ability to breathe. This can produce a rasping noise (stridor) from the upper airway. These aren't symptoms normally associated with dental treatment. The tongue may even protrude from the patient's mouth.

Difficulty breathing (or a wheeze) & a drop in blood pressure causing the patient to collapse are indicators of anaphylactic shock.

Key Take Away

It's important that all staff are familiar with the signs & symptoms of anaphylaxis & that drugs & equipment are quickly available to manage a reaction.

Your practice should have an emergency action plan identifying the actions to take during during a medical emergency & clarifying all staff roles & responsibilities.

We hope that helps but if you have any specific questions about anaphylaxis, please feel free to contact us!

You can also refer to the Resuscitation Council UK's FAQ's in relation to anaphylaxis.

P.S. We also provide additional Drug Administration & IM injection courses. If you'd like to know more, Contact Us

Free Dental CPD Training!

Used your CPR or Medical Emergency skills recently? You or your practice could get free CPD training - here's how...

If you or your team have used any skills from your CPR or Medical Emergency training, we want to hear about it!

Female dentist wearing cap & mask dressed as superhero

Nobody in your practice wants a medical emergency to happen. But if it does, we want to know that your training helped you prepare & manage any emergency to the best of your ability.

We want to know what happened & how your team dealt with it. Then we'll enter you into our draw to win one of the following courses of your choice:

1 place on one of our open Dental ILS sessions (worth £127)
2 places on one of our open CPR sessions (worth £126)
Half Price IM injection & Drug administration training in your practice (up to 12 attendees) (worth £234)

All you have to do is email us at info@lubasmedical.com or use our contact us form telling us how you & your team managed the emergency.

We also want to share your story in our monthly newsletter 'To the Point' (we're happy to keep you or the practice anonymous).

The draw will be completed in December & you'll be notified if you win straight after.

Good Luck!

The Lubas Team

Important COVID-19 update!

Due to the unprecedented impact COVID-19 is having on all of us, we have been left with no option but to suspend training until further notice.

As a medical training provider, we have a responsibility to do our part in reducing the risk of spreading the virus. This means reducing the number of customers we come into contact with.
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We will honour all bookings that are already made and inform everyone individually with new dates once we re-open as normal.
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We would like to offer huge thanks to all our customers, who’s understanding has been fantastic through this difficult time for us all.
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While everyone works through their own difficult situations, we are implementing the following to help where we can:
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A downloadable, PDF copy of the Sports Trauma Management manual for those who are already booked on to suspended courses. (This will be e-mailed automatically to everyone who has booked on to any of our outstanding courses).
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We will be working to release CPD and online training across our social media platforms while face to face training is suspended.
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We will be reducing prices for our full online courses via www.lubasonline.com
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If you need to contact us, we will be available via the following:
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Email: info@lubasmedical.com
Twitter: @lubasmedical
Facebook: /lubasmedical
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We will respond to posts/direct messages/messenger as soon as possible.
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We will continue to update our customers through social media and again, would like to thank you all for the continuing support you show us.

Paul, Chris and the whole team at Lubas Medical.

Lubas Medical Training Officer

Lubas is a family run business based in Cardiff. We provide an array of Medical Training, Event & Production Staff and services that suit a range of needs.

We love what we do and are a constantly growing and evolving family of staff. We’re always looking to improve and innovate in the way we deliver our services.

We are looking for a new Training Officer to add to our vibrant and ever-growing team. We want applicants who are hungry to learn more and develop both themselves, and the company, and embrace the Lubas Medical culture.

Lubas Medical Training Officer – Job Role and Specification

Role: Training Officer

Salary: Starting rate of £25000 per annum (pro-rata)

Location: Lubas Medical, Pinewood Studio Wales, Cardiff

Hours: 24 hours per week (days will vary and may include some weekends & evenings)

trainer teaching CPR at a dental practice,.

Benefits:

Use of Lubas vehicle during work hours
Auto-enrolment into Lubas Pension Scheme
Additional paid Christmas Holidays (following successful probation)
Free eye care (up to £100)
Healthy eating programme – free fruit

Job Description

The Lubas Medical Training Officer role will primarily consist of teaching a variety of courses from basic level first aid, Basic Life Support, CPR, Automated External Defibrillation and Medical Emergencies in GP surgeries and dental practices.

Training Officers will also teach Lubas Medical First Aid for Sport & Exercise (Level 1 & 2) and Sports Trauma Management courses for healthcare professionals in sport.

We pride ourselves on our unique, effective delivery of training that is evident in all our courses. We have an adaptable, flexible, professional and friendly approach that all our instructors are expected to project while teaching.

Prospective applicants should understand that the Training Officer role requires the following specification:

Essential

Applicants must first be fully prepared to embrace the Lubas Medical culture and maintain and abide by our principles of work.
It is essential that applicants hold a valid Nursing or Paramedic qualification to enable them to teach at the level required.
Applicants must hold a valid UK driver’s licence.
Applicants must be adaptable. Different audiences and levels may require different approaches but must still be delivered in our specific style.
We require Training Officers to be personable and approachable – we excel at building long – term relationships with our customers and our Training Officers play a huge part in this.
Travel will be required on most working days. Therefore, Training Officers must be flexible and willing to travel (this may include some international travel).
Overnight stays may also be required for some training courses.
Organisational skills are essential to maintain a high attention to detail – our Training Officers are self- sufficient and plan their own weekly workload.
Applicants must be ambitious and keen to develop their role within Lubas Medical.
We rely on all our staff to look for opportunities to be innovative in the way we deliver our services. This also includes looking for ways of increasing and customising our services to suit each individual customer. Training Officers should always be looking at ways to improve their own skills along with the development of the company

Desirable

Any previous teaching experience would be advantageous
Any teaching qualifications you currently hold would also be desirable.
Additional C1 driving licence and/or blue lights trained
Any additional skills and qualifications that we don’t currently have within Lubas Medical.
Evidence of up to date Continual Professional Development
Qualifications in Advanced Life Support

If you are interested in applying for this post, please send your C.V. and covering letter via email to info@lubasmedical.com by the 13th of March.

How to treat shock after an accident.

The term “shock” is often misunderstood. It can conjure up images of someone dealing with a traumatic experience being “cured” or comforted with a cup of sugary tea! But shock in medical terms relates to a physiological and potentially life-threatening condition.

To help you understand what type of shock we are talking about, here are some pointers for understanding, recognising & managing shock.

What is Shock?

Shock is the reduction of blood & oxygen to the organs and tissues of the body due to a problem with circulation. If untreated, shock can be fatal.

What causes Shock?

Shock is usually caused by a drop in blood pressure. This reduces the amount of oxygen to your vital organs and tissues.

The drop in blood pressure can be commonly caused by high volume blood loss (hypovolaemic shock), problems with the heart (cardiogenic shock) and severe allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock) among other things

What are the signs & symptoms of shock?

Someone suffering from shock will likely show the following symptoms:

Pale & clammy
Light-headed/dizzy
Nausea
Irregular breathing
Confusion/anxiety
Loss of consciousness

What is the treatment for shock?

If you suspect someone is suffering from shock, you should do the following:

Call 999 and describe the symptoms to the emergency services
Try to control/stop any bleeding that may be occurring
Lay the casualty down and raise their legs – this encourages blood to flow to the brain
Keep the casualty warm, comfortable and as calm as possible
Keep monitoring their breathing until Paramedics arrive.

Conclusion

Shock is always brought on by an underlying problem or condition. Recognising the symptoms and acting quickly to get further help is vitally important if you suspect shock.

We provide more in-depth information and training regarding shock on our First Aid for Sport & Exercise (FASE 1) course (link to FASE 1). We also offer further online content at www.lubasonline.com

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/first-aid/ (Shock section)

https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-shock/basics/art-20056620

https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/shock-treatment

Online Training - The Future's Bright

Making the most of online medical training

With recent advances in technology, there've been various debates about online vs face-to-face training.

Here's a few points that'll help you get the most out of learning online, & why you don't have to choose between the 2

1. Training in the palm of your hand

The greatest benefit of learning online is quick accessibility on the go.

We all consume huge volumes of (mostly useless!) information through our phones. Medical training via your mobile gives you access to information, updates & skills that improve your knowledge.

You can advance your CPD, remind yourself of a specific skill & test your knowledge right in the palm of your hand.

2. Personalised training

An online learning library offers you the chance to pick & choose the medical training & CPD that suits you. You can home in on the specific areas & levels that fit your needs. This creates a personalised training package just for you.

3. Up Skill

Online training offers you the chance to increase your skills & knowledge very quickly. Certain skills require physical practice & face-to-face learning. But there are elements of theory & video examples/scenarios you can use to refresh your knowledge. You can “up skill” your previous learning to prepare you for your next course.

4. Best of both worlds

We recommend using online medical training to enhance your practical learning (blended learning).

Nothing gets you ready for the real thing like real-life, scenario based practical training. Learning online shouldn’t replace your face-to-face learning. It should give you support before, during and certainly after your practical courses.

See online training as your interactive manual or guide that you can refer to & test yourself with.

You can benefit greatly from using online learning for medical training and first aid. But combining it with practical training will really enhance your skills & confidence.

We’ve recently updated the format to our First Aid for Sport & Exercise 1 course. To find out more about the new format www.lubasmedical.com