3. First actions in the practice

Call for help early

999 if airway, breathing, circulation or conscious level is threatened, or red-flag sepsis is likely. Stay with the person. Follow your medical-emergencies kit protocol (oxygen if indicated and you are trained). Do not send them to drive themselves to ED if they are deteriorating.

If they are stable enough for urgent care

Same-day OMFS / A&E / 111-to-urgent-dental pathways that actually exist where you work — not a generic England-only leaflet. Give a written or phoned handover: suspected source, what you have done, drugs given, allergies.

Antibiotics in the chair

Stewardship still applies, but a septic or airway-compromised patient is not the moment for a delayed prescription debate. Arrange emergency care. If a prescriber gives a first dose before transfer, record it and tell the receiving team. Do not let “we try oral antibiotics until Monday” replace 999.

Next module

Module 2 covers dental infection patterns, safety-netting language, and how this sits next to the Medical Emergencies and Antimicrobial Stewardship courses.

If you are unsure, escalate. Sepsis is easier to over-refer than to under-spot.