Respiratory emergencies in the dental office

Respiratory emergencies are among the most common problems encountered in dental practice and are potentially among the most devastating. Therefore, they must be recognized rapidly and treated promptly. This article focuses on the clinically significant pathophysiology of respiratory emergencies, such that the practitioner can effectively identify the patients with a risk of developing a respiratory crisis and use this information to help provide rapid, effective therapy. Simple protocols are presented for the treatment of the most common respiratory emergencies.