Emergency Critical Care Flashcards
What does the the RCVS state regarding emergency care practices provide?
- Must take steps to provide 2-4 hour emergency first aid and pain relief
- Practice can provide this
- Can use specific emergency care provider
- Should never be refused to an owner
What can be done once initial first aid treatment has been given?
- Safely examined by RVN or VS
- Ascertain if needing urgent treatment or can wait
What does the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 say regarding first aid treatment?
- Anyone can perform animal first aid to save life, prevent suffering or prevent condition deteriorating
- This can be used if VS or RVN not available
- Owners can administer first aid to patients
- This includes CPCR, pressure on haemorrhage, anything preserving life
What are the objectives of first aid?
- Preserve life
- Reduce pain and discomfort
- Prevent further deterioration
Who is best to perform first aid if a VS is unavailable?
- RVN have greater knowledge and skill base
- Have clinical experience with emergencies
What do successful first aid outcomes depend on?
- Early recognition of severity
- Good communication with owner and team
- Implementing correct treatment
- Careful and regular monitoring
Rules for emergency practice
- Remain calm
- Be prepared
- Don’t put self, owner, staff at risk (pain causes aggression)
- Ensure safe environment
- Ensure animal at no further risk
- Assess severity of injury/illness
- Administer appropriate FA
- Contact VS ASAP
What is often the first point of call between owners and the practice in emergency stituations?
- Telephone calls
- Owners often distressed
What needs to be remembered when asking questions on the phone in emergency situations?
- Reassure they are priority and being heard
- Need to see if life threatening
- If so, bring to practice immediately
- Question further once arrived
- Any delay can impact survival
- Be concise and polite
Why is a veterinary call out not appropriate in emergencies?
- No access to equipment needed
- Limited oxygen supply as mobile smaller
What emergencies need to be seen without delay?
- Respiratory distress
- Severe haemorrhage
- Collapse/unconsciousness
- Rapid + progressive abdominal distension
- Inability to urinate
- Sudden onset neuro abnormalities
- Severe vomiting, especially if depressed
- Severe D+, especially if haemorrhagic
- Witnessed ingestion of toxin
- Sudden weakness/inability to stand
- Extreme pain
- Open fractures
- Dystocia
- RTA
- Head injuries
- Prolapsed eyeball
What conditions need seeing quickly but not immediately?
- Mild to moderate V+
- Non-haemorrhagic D+
- Small wounds with minimal blood loss
- Discomfort when passing U+
- Polyuria/polydipsia
- Weight baring lameness
What important information is needed when discussing emergencies with clients?
- Patient and client details
- Characteristics of patient
- Any medication, last dose
- Exact nature of problem
- When started
- Progressively got worse?
- Happened before? Treated?
- Depressed or lethargic?
- Any other symptoms?
What information should be taken at the start of an emergency phone call?
- Client name and number
- In case call cuts off
Rules for emergency telephone conversations
- Introduce self and practice
- Calm, polite, reassuring
- Find problem quickly, is life threatening?
- Directions to practice
- Advise alternative transport
- How to safely transport pet
- Ask ETA
- Get client contact details
- Are they registered?
- If not get history from registered vets
- Estimate cost of consult, especially in OOH
