Medical Emergencies in the Dermatology Office: Incidence and Options for Crisis Preparedness

Medical emergencies may occur in any setting, including dermatology offices. We examined the incidence of medical emergencies in a survey of 34 dermatologists. Fifty-five events occurred over 565 combined years of clinical practice, an incidence of 1 episode every 10.3 years. We also review options for better preparedness for medical emergencies in dermatology practices, ranging from an emergency action plan for emergency personnel, basic life support (BLS) certification, advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) certification, and on-site automatic electronic defibrillators (AEDs).