Animal Nursing Final Flashcards by Jen Welshman

What is the appropriate method for correcting a written error on a medical document?

Using pen, scratch one line through the mistake, followed by your initials and the date, and if possible a witness as well.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Who has legal access to a patients’ medical file?

The primary owner on file

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What factors are included in “Patient Signalment”?

Breed, Species, Age, Gender, Reproductive status, colors, distinctive markings

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the normal range for HR in a dog and cat?

Dog: 70-160 bpm
Cat: 150-210 bpm

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the normal range for RR in a dog and cat?

15-30 rpm for both

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the normal CRT for a dog and cat?

Less than 2 seconds

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What does CRT stand for, and why are we checking this?

Capillary Refill Time - a way to assess blood flow to extremities (Tissue perfusion)

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are the 5 vitals we assess on every patient?

HR, RR, Temp, CRT, MM,

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the normal temperature range for a dog and cat?

Dog: 37.5-39 degrees C
Cat: 38 - 39 degrees C

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are the 5 colors of mucous membranes, and what does each indicate?

White - Anemia, Hypothermia, pain
Pink - Normal perfusion
Brick red - Hypervolemia, shock, toxicity
Yellow - Jaundice - liver damage
Blue - Cyanotic - no oxygen

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

How do we assess hydration status in a patient?

Skin turgor - tenting the skin, assess how long it takes to return to normal
Mucous membrane moisture - should be slick to the touch

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Why do we vaccinate animals?

To protect public - zoonotic disease
To treat or prevent disease
To lessen severity of disease and/or duration of disease

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are the 3 types of vaccine technology we use in veterinary medicine?

-Modified Live Vaccine (MLV) – virus or bacteria has been altered or weakened so it cannot cause clinical disease

-Killed Vaccines (KV) – virus or bacteria has been killed, rendered harmless

-Recombinant Vaccine (RV) – Small portion of virus or bacterial DNA is removed and implanted into a benign host

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are common vaccine side-effects and how do they differ from adverse reactions?

Side effects - Expected, the immune system is mounting a response to the vx - mild pain at injection site, mild lethargy, both resolving in 24h
Adverse reactions - anaphylaxis, hives, itching, swelling, vomiting, diarrhea, ongoing pain and lethargy beyond 24h

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the purpose of antibody titer testing?

To assess antibody levels in a patient - see if there are enough antibodies against a pathogen for the patient to be considered protected

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are the 5 rights of medication?

Right patient
Right drug
Right dose
Right route
Right time

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What does the S in SOAP stand for, what is an example?

Subjective – chief complaint, history of illness, history, current meds, allergies

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What does the O in SOAP stand for, what is an example?

Objective – vital signs, PE findings, diagnostics

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What does the A stand for in SOAP, what is an example?

Assessment – problem, rule outs

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What does the P stand for in SOAP, what is an example?

Plan – details needed for further testing and consultation

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are questions to ask an owner when booking a vaccine appointment?

-Are they on any parasite control?
-Any vomiting or diarrhea?
-Any coughing or sneezing?
-Eating and drinking normally?
-Normal energy levels
-Have they reacted to any vaccines in the past?
-Are their records up to date here?

How does wound contamination differ from wound infection

Contamination - microorganisms loosely attached to wound
Infection - microorganisms multiply, bind to tissue, and illicit an immune response

What are the 4 wound categories, with an example of each?

-Clean – surgical incisions
-Clean/contaminated – surgical wounds with minor breaks in aseptic technique
-Contaminated – fresh traumatic injuries, fractures, penetrating wounds
-Dirty – grossly contaminated, abscess, necrosis, older than 4h

Briefly describe the 4 phases of wound healing

Hemostasis – stop the bleeding
-Inflammatory – begins immediately, lasts 3-5 days, wound is weakest, clotting, debridement (via macrophages)
-Proliferative stage – begins after 2-3 days, wound is rebuilt with collagen, epithelialization, granulation, wound contracts
-Maturation – begins at week 3, lasts for months, remodeling of collagen fibers, wound fully closes and gains maximum strength

What factors effect wound healing?

-Patient - age, disease, nutrition -Wound classification - degree of contamination, length of time it's been open -Concurrent treatments - Chemotherapy, Steroids

What items would you find in a first aid kit?

Bandages Gauze Scissors Gloves Tape Antiseptic wipes Blankets Tongue depressors

What are questions to ask an owner who's dog is vomiting?

1. When did it start? 2. Could they have gotten into something? 3. How often are they vomiting? 4. What does the vomit look like? Bile or food? 5. Energy level? 6. Up to date on vaccines? 7. Parasite control? 8. Eating/drinking?

What does "Triage" mean?

Sorting patients by the severity of their condition - in order of most life-threatening to least

In terms of emergency medicine, what does "ABC" stand for?

Airway, Breathing, Circulation

What is a "Crash Cart"?

A mobile unit stocked with all emergency supplies and drugs

What are questions to ask an owner with a constipated cat?

-When was the last normal bowel movement? -Is there any urine in the litterbox? -Eating/drinking? -Licking at genital area? -Any history of either constipation or urinary issues? -Gender and age of cat

How would you advise an owner to monitor a bandage at home?

Recheck if pet starts licking or chewing at it Check for toe swelling if the toes are left out Cover before going outside Recheck if bandage gets dirty or wet Recheck if any odour Do not try to replace bandage themselves Always call if they have any questions

If a pet has a toxicity, what questions would you ask the owner?

-Species and age of the animal Toxic agent ( if known) Amount ingested and strength if a medication How long ago ingested Rough weight of the animal. Symptoms animal is displaying Any other underlying illness or medications

What common toxicities can be found in or around the home?

Chocolate, grapes/raisins, THC products, NSAID’s, Xylitol, raw dough, caffeine, nicotine, Lilies, owner medications, anti-freeze, permethrins

When a cat becomes blocked, they are unable to void waste products from their body. One electrolyte builds up to toxic levels, causing death. What is it, and which organ does it affect?

Potassium - affects the heart - elevations can cause cardiac arrest

Why is nutrition so important for sick patients?

Immune system function, tissue synthesis for healing, GI function, regulating physiological function

List the 4 methods of delivering enteral nutrition

-Naso-esophageal -Esophagostomy -Gastronomy -Jejunostomy

What is refeeding syndrome and how can we avoid it?

-Feeding food to quickly can cause organ shut down, leading to death. -Introduce small volumes of food slowly – 4-6 small meals – 25% of cals on day 1, gradually increasing until day 4-5 when all daily calories are offered

Dystocia means...?

Difficulty giving birth

What is the purpose of Oxytocin?

Stimulates uterine contractions

What does Eclampsia mean?

Low calcium levels

What questions should you ask an owner with a pet in dystocia?

What is the female doing now? What concerns prompted the owner to call? What is the age and breed of the female? What is the breed of the male who bred with her? Is the due date known? Does the owner know how many puppies/kittens exist? Have any fetuses been delivered? Is the female actively pushing?

List the 4 stages of the ovarian cycle

-Proestrus -Estrus -Diestrus -Anestrus

Briefly describe the 3 stages of partruition

-Stage 1 – animal becomes restless/ nesting behavior/ may go off food/ temp drops by 1degree -Stage 2 – Active uterine contractions/ dilation of cervix -Stage 3 – Expulsion of fetus and amniotic sac

What are the 4 routes of fluid therapy?

IV, SQ, IO, IP

What are the Core vaccines for dogs?

Rabies, DA2PP

What are the non-core vaccines for dogs?

Bordetella, Lyme, Lepto

What are the core vaccines for cats?

Rabies, FVRCP

What are the non-core vaccines for cats?

FeLV

Why do we dry ears after a cleaning, before instilling medication?

Some cleaners can inactivate the medication

When giving eye drops AND eye ointments, which needs to be administered first, and how long do you separate each medication by?

Eye drops go in first so they can fully absorb, wait 5 minutes before applying the ointment