Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Vol 2:8 Question





Trauma
A 22-year-old man calls the ED from a local bar stating that he was punched in the face ten minutes ago and is holding his front incisor tooth in his hand. He wants to know what the best way to preserve the tooth is. Which of the following is the most appropriate advice to give the caller?
a. Place the tooth in a napkin and bring it to the Emergency Department
b. Place the tooth in a glass of water and bring it to the Emergency Department
c. Place the tooth in a glass of beer and bring it to the Emergency Department
d. Pour some water over the tooth and place it immediately back into the socket
e. Place the tooth in a glass of milk and bring it to the Emergency Department

Last question of the set before the winner is announced!

Please submit your answer in the "comment" section. The person with the most correct entries at the end of six weeks will receive a copy of the book PreTest Emergency Medicine.

For more information about the contest, please click here.

quizzER is a weekly contest consisting of a question selected from various areas of emergency medicine that are central to the education of medical students and residents in training. For more information please refer to the following link.

16 comments:

Molly said...

Place the tooth in a cup of milk and bring it to the RD. Chlorine in tap can damage the tooth so make sure not to rinse the tooth with water either.

NG said...

I've not actually attended medical school, but I'm pretty sure it's D.

The T-Dude said...

E: Put the tooth in a glass of milk and go to the ED

Anonymous said...

d. Rinse in water and place as soon as possible in socket before seeing dentist for fixation to neighbouring teeth

undergrad RN said...

Oooh! Put in milk! (I think)

ArkieRN said...

d. Pour some water over the tooth and place it immediately back into the socket

Anonymous said...

into a glass of milk it goes

prnpenguin said...

That's a hard one with a toss-up between D & E.

Given that the caller obviously does not appear to have a compromised airway, and is seeking advice on how to preserve his tooth, with no mention of being in acute pain, the most appropriate advice would be:

d. Pour some water over the tooth and place it immediately back into the socket

Although there is the potential for a facial fracture and possible need for an ADT shot, a lost tooth in a fully conscious and otherwise uninjured patient is not an emergency - and would most appropriately be dealth with by a visit to the dentist.

Rinsing the tooth and placing it back in the socket will give it the best chance to be saved. Failing that, placing it in the milk would be the next best choice.

overactive-imagination said...

D. is the most appropriate answer but if that is unsuccessful then E. should be done.

WongML said...

e. Place the tooth in a glass of milk and bring it to the ED.

kingellakoko said...

the answer is letter e.

Anonymous said...

The answer is E. Put it in a glass of milk. But it may already be too late....

Steve

ditzydoctor said...

place the tooth in a glass of milk!

DR. Tom said...

firstly, he should seek appropriate anger management counselling, secondly he should have the tooth drilled and made into a necklace, thirdly he should take a suitcase of money to a good restorative dentist who will make him a "perfectly" matched bridge using computerized CAD dentistry, fourthly he should look at his tooth necklace daily to remind him of his stupidity

rcktgrl88 said...

I'm not even a med person, and I know the tooth goes into the glass of milk.

rcktgrl88

Anonymous said...

The answer is E (milk and the ED)