Medical Emergencies · single question
CASE — A woman in an accident has a fractured tooth AND a mild headache. The dentist's PRIORITY is to:
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Correct answer: B. Refer her to the emergency room to rule out a head injury first
- A. Dental treatment is secondary to ruling out a possible intracranial injury.
- B. Correct. A headache after head trauma requires medical evaluation (rule out head injury) BEFORE elective dental care.
- C. Masking symptoms with analgesics could obscure a worsening head injury.
- D. Imaging the jaw does not address the medical concern of head injury.
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