Clinical Skills Flashcards
Where would you feel for a pulse when assessing circulation prior to CPR?
Femoral artery
Where should chest compressions be applied during CPR in narrow-chested dogs?
Directly over the heart
In which recumbency should chest compressions be performed during CPR in barrel-chested dogs?
Dorsal recumbency
In which recumbency should chest compressions be performed during CPR in small dogs win compliant chests and most cats?
Lateral recumbency
How do you achieve the cardiac pump theory in small dogs with compliant chests/most cats? (2)
- Wrap fingers of one hand around sternum at level of heart
2. Both hands- one under cat and one around sternum at level of heart
How many chest compressions should be performed during CPR?
100-120 per minute
How should ventilation be applied during CPR?
10 breaths/minute
10ml/kg tidal volume
Use pure oxygen and a reservoir bag from a breathing circuit
When is the only time you use the thoracic pump theory?
Round-chested dogs
In which recumbency should chest compressions be performed during CPR in round and narrow-chested dogs?
Lateral recumbency
What are the 4 methods of taking a cytological sample?
Fine needle (aspirate) biopsy
Impression smear
Tape strip
Swab
When taking a fine-needly biopsy, when would you use aspiration?
For tissues with more structure, eg soft tissue sarcoma
When taking a biopsy, when would you not use aspiration?
Vascular or soft tissues eg spleen, lymph node
What are some advantages of using fine-needle biopsy technique?
Quick
Cheap
Often no sedation required for superficial tissues
What gauge needle would you use when doing a fine needle biopsy?
Why no bigger?
22
May cause haemorrhage
When might aseptic preparation of the patient be used?
When wouldnt it?
Would=fine needle aspiration of eg liver
Wouldn’t=surface cytologies eg impression smear of skin, as you would be destroying the changes you wish to examine
What are fine needle biopsies used to obtain?
When might they be inappropriate?
Small samples of cells from inside organs or masses. Can be done ‘blind’ or with ultrasound guidance (more accurate).
If the patient has a coagulation defect, or in highly vascular masses.
When would you take an impression smear?
Ulcerated masses, burst pustules or from the cut surface of a mass
Most useful for highly exfoliative tissues (eg lymph nodes) rather than ones with rigid architecture eg tumours of fibrous tissues (fibromas)
How would you do an impression smear?
Gently blot surface of mass to remove blood contamination
Press the cut surface of the sample on to the face of a clean slide
Allow to air-dry
When doing a tape strip examination, how long should the tape be?
2cm longer than microscope slide
When staining a tape strip, which stains do you use?
Red and blue components of the Diff-Quik stain, as the fixing solution will melt the glue in the tape
What is the optimal body condition score for a dog?
4/5 on a 9 point scale.
Ribs easily palpable with minimal fat covering. Waist observed behind ribs when viewed from above.
Abdominal tuck evident
What is the optimal body condition score for a cat?
5 on a 9 point scale Well proportioned. Ribs palpable with slight fat covering. Can observe waist behind ribs. Abdominal fat pad minimal.
When performing a clinical exam, what should you look at regarding the head?
Check musculature, palpate submandibular lymph nodes. Examine oral cavity (mucous membrane colour, capillary refill time, teeth, tongue, tonsils). Check nose (discharge, condition, airflow in each nostril). Eyes (ophthalmoscopy). Examine ears (otoscopy)
Why should you perform heart auscultation in a dog when its standing as opposed to in lateral or dorsal recumbency?
Thoracic structures may displace due to gravity when in dorsal/lateral recumbency
Where is the heart located?
Close to the sternum between ribs 3 and 6 (count ribs backwards as it is difficult to identify rib 1 and count forwards due to the thoracic limb and pectoral muscle mass). LHS.
Can also use position of the olecranon-when animal is standing square, the olecranon is at the level of the 5th costo-chondral junction
In order to listen to all areas of the heart, the thoracic limb should be drawn forward to pull the triceps muscle mass out of the way
Where are the heart valves located?
Pulmonary: LHS ribspace 3
Aortic: LHS ribspace 4
Left atrio-ventricular (mitral valve): LHS ribspace 5
Right atrio-ventricular (tricuspid valve): RHS ribspace 4
What are the 2 parts of a stethoscope?
What can be heard with each part?
Bell (head): low frequency sounds
Diaphragm: high frequency sounds
What is percussion?
What should it sound like over the heart and lungs?
The technique of placing one finger on the thoracic wall and tapping with another finger to identify areas of dullness, either with or without the stethoscope
Percussing over the lungs will sounds slightly hollow (tympanic) as they are air-filled, but percussing over the heart will sound slightly dull as it is fluid-filled (area of cardiac dullness).
What can percussion be used for?
Over the lungs to identify solid masses (tumours or abscesses) and fluid lines in the case of pneumonia and pleural effusions
What is the normal heart rate in a dog?
70-160 bpm
What is the normal respiratory rate of a dog?
10-30 bpm
Which organs can you palpate in the abdomen?
Liver, intestines, spleen, kidneys, bladder
What would you observe before doing an opthalmoscope examination?
Is the facial conformation symmetrical? Are the eyelids (including nictitating membrane) in a normal position? Is blinking at a normal rate?
Any discolouration? Any evidence of strabismus or nystagmus (involuntary movement of eyeball from side to side)? Are the pupils symmetrical and the right size for the level of background light?
How would you do an eye exam?
1) Hands on, normal light: examine lids, lacrimal punctae, conjunctiva and nictitating membrane. Pupil size. Corneal reflex (reflection of light by cornea, should reflect a smooth sharp image)
2) Hands on, lights off: use a pen torch to exam the eye systemically eg lens, iris, is cornea clear and smooth?
3) Direct ophthalmoscopy, distant then close:
Distant: stand at arms length, hand under animal’s chin. Set ophthalmoscope to +1 or +2D and look straight into pupils to see tapetal reflex (greenish reflection from tapetum)
Close: used to examine the fundus. Look at optic disc and follow the retinal blood vessels that radiate from it
What is close direct ophthalmoscopy used to examine?
What light setting would you have the ophthalmoscope on?
Fundus
Between -1 and +1D
Of the mare and cow, which is more likely to experience rectal tears when performing a rectal exam?
Mare
When performing a horse rectal exam, how should you insert your arm?
Form hand into a cone shape and insert it gently, as horses are at risk of a rectal tear. Remove any faeces. Insert arm slowly up to shoulder then withdraw it halfway, to allow the mare to relax and reduce the likelihood of her straining excessively
Where is the cervix located in the horse (when performing a rectal exam)?
How should it feel?
On the floor of the pelvis mid-line
Should feel soft with minimal tone
How do the uterine horns pass in the horse and cow?
Horse: dorsally to each side
Cow: ventrally
How is early pregnancy indicated in a horse?
Increased uterine tone and a slight enlargement of one side of the uterine horns
How large are the ovaries in a horse in anoestrus and oestrus?
Anoestrus: 2-3 by 3-4 cm
Oestrus: 5-6 by 6-10 cm
Why is it difficult to palpate a corpus luteum in a horse?
They don’t protrude from the surface of the ovary
Where is the cervix located in the cow?
How does it feel?
On the floor of the pelvis, mid-line
Has a meaty feel to it
How should the uterine horns feel in a non-pregnant mare?
What about a non-pregnant cow?
Quite flaccid
Fairly firm tone, equal in size
In a non-pregnant cow, how would you pull the uterus into the pelvis?
Gently grasp the cervix and pull it dorsally and caudally to bring the uterine bifurcation into the pelvis.
Pass your hand cranially along the cervix until you reach the bifurcation. You should feel the dorsal inter-cornual ligament (fragile). Use this to locate the ventral inter-cornual ligament. Hook your fingers underneath it and pull the rest of the uterus into the pelvis.
When performing a rectal exam on a non-pregnant cow, what do follicles feel like?
Like fluid-filled blisters slightly protruding from the surface
When performing a rectal exam on a non-pregnant cow, what does a corpus luteum feel like?
A hard protrusion from the ovary
When performing a rectal exam on a non-pregnant cow, what do cystic ovaries feel like?
Abnormally large
When performing a rectal pregnancy diagnosis on a cow, what should you avoid doing and why?
Avoid palpating the ovaries and aggressive manipulation of the organs as this could result in abortion
When performing a rectal pregnancy diagnosis on a cow, what would you feel at 6 weeks pregnant?
Pregnant horn is bouncy and thin-walled
2” diamtere
Non-pregnant horn has no bounce and is thick-walled
When performing a rectal pregnancy diagnosis on a cow, what would you feel at 7 weeks pregnant?
Pregnant horn is bouncy and thin-walled
3” diameter
Non-pregnant horn has no bounce and is thick-walled
When performing a rectal pregnancy diagnosis on a cow, what would you feel at 8 weeks pregnant?
Both horns are bouncy and thin-walled
3” diameter
When performing a rectal pregnancy diagnosis on a cow, what would you feel at 9 weeks pregnant?
There is a bounce in both horns, with the pregnant horn half the size of a small football
Can lightly ballot calf
No cotyledons
When performing a rectal pregnancy diagnosis on a cow, what would you feel at 10 weeks pregnant?
Bounce in both horns with pregnant horn the size of a small football
Can ballot calf
No cotyledons
When performing a rectal pregnancy diagnosis on a cow, what would you feel at 11 weeks pregnant?
Bounce in both horns with pregnant horn the size of a large football
Can feel calf
Can just feel small cotyledons
When performing a rectal pregnancy diagnosis on a cow, what is the cotyledon size at 3, 4 and 5 months pregnant?
3 months= 20mm
4 months= 25mm
5 months= 30mm
When performing a rectal pregnancy diagnosis on a cow, what is the uterine artery diameter and activity (on the pregnant side) at 3, 4 and 5 months pregnant?
3 months= puny and pulsing
4 months= 2-3mm and thrill
5 month= 7-9mm and thrill
When performing a rectal pregnancy diagnosis on a cow, from when can you feel cotyledons?
11 weeks pregnant
When performing a rectal pregnancy diagnosis on a cow, from when can you lightly ballot the calf?
9 weeks pregnant
Explain the cardiac pump theory
Ventricles directly compressed between sternum and spine (dorsal recumbency) or between ribs (lateral recumbency)
Blood forced out of heart to lungs and periphery
Relaxation of ventricles returns blood to heart from lungs and periphery
Explain the thoracic pump theory
Intra-thoracic pressure increased
This compresses the aorta & collapses the vena cava, leading to blood flow out of the thorax
During elastic recoil of the chest decreased intra-thoracic pressure results in blood flow from the periphery back into the thorax and lungs
When doing CPR, how deep should chest compressions be?
1/3 to 1/2 width of the thorax
Should allow full elastic recoil of the chest before the next compression
How would you assess a patient prior to doing CPR?
ABC
Airways: ensure airways are clear and insert an endotracheal tube. Tie behind canines over nose and inflate cuff
Breathing: watch chest, feel for exhaled breath (fur displacement). If not breathing, start CPR immediately
Circulation: check for femoral pulse. If no pulse, start CPR immediately
What is the purpose of inflating the cuff on an ET tube?
Secures tube in place, prevents leakage of respiratory gases
What should the chest compression: ventilation ratio be when applying mouth-to-snout ventilation?
30:2
30 compressions, then 2 quick breaths, then 30 compressions etc
CPR should be performed in uninterrupted cycles of how many minutes?
2