Patient Care Flashcards
What are the 6 investigating protocols?
- History taking
- Initial observations
- Physical observations
- Diagnostic procedures
- Treatment
- After care
What are the initial observations?
- General condition including weight
- Behaviour
- Symmetry
- Posture
- Gait
What is the physical examination?
To establish the extent and effects of a problem; start cranially and then caudally
What should be checked on the head?
- Nares
- Mouth
- Smell, mucous membranes and capillary refill time
- Eyes
- Ears
What do pale mucous membranes mean?
- Poor perfusion
- Haemorrhage
- Severe vasoconstriction
What do red mucous membranes mean?
- Congestion
- Fever
- Sepsis
What do cherry red mucous membranes mean?
Carbon monoxide poisoning
What do cyanotic mucous membranes?
Hypoxia
What do jaundice (icterus) mucous membranes?
- Liver disease
- Bile flow obstruction
- Can be normal in horses
How many seconds should a healthy capillary refill time?
1-2 seconds
What does it mean if CRT is shorter than 2 seconds?
- Poor perfusion
- Dehydration
What does it mean if CRT is longer than 2 seconds?
- Fever
- Sepsis
What should you check on the neck?
Pinch the skin around here and the skin should go back immediately
- Check for wounds
- Check lymph nodes
What does an enlargement of the lymph nodes mean?
- Infection
- Neoplasia
- Inflammation
What should be checked on the limbs and body?
- Forelimbs
- Thorax
- Abdomen
- Pelvis and hindlimbs
- Tail
- Anus
- Genitalia
- Skin and coat
What does anorexia mean?
Loss of appetite
What does inappetance mean?
Reduced appetite
What does dysphagia?
Difficulty in swallowing
What does polyphagia?
Increased eating
What does voracious mean?
Wolfing down food with weight loss
What does pica mean?
The craving of unnatural foods
What does coprophagia mean?
Eating faeces
What does capricious mean?
Picky eating
What does polydipsia mean?
Increased drinking
What does adipsia mean?
Lack of drinking
What does polyuria mean?
Increased urination
What does oliguria mean?
Decreased urination
What does anuria mean?
Lack of urination
What does dysuria mean?
Difficulty in urination
What does haematuria mean?
Blood in urine
What does urinary incontinence mean?
Dripping urine
What does urinary tenesmus mean?
Straining to pass urine
What does constipation mean?
Unable to pass faeces
What does diarrhoea mean?
Passing soft faeces
What does faecal tenesmus mean?
Straining to pass faeces
What does dyschezia mean?
Pain when passing faeces
What does melaena mean?
Dark tarry faeces containing digested blood
What does haematochezia mean?
Fresh blood in faeces
What does steatorrhoea mean?
Fatty faeces
What does projectile mean?
Forceful vomit of stomach contents usually without retching
What does regurgitation mean?
The return of undigested food form the oesophagus
What does retching mean?
Ineffectual attempts to vomit
What does haematemesis mean?
Vomit containing blood
What does bilious/cholemesis mean?
Vomit containing bile
What does stercoraceous mean?
Vomit containing faeces
What does pyrexia mean?
Elevated core body temperature
What does orthopnoea mean?
Dyspnoea when in recumbency
What does dyspnoea mean?
Shortness in breath
What are the 6 types of enteral tubes?
- Orogastric
- Naso-oesophageal
- Pharyngostomy
- Oesophagostomy
- Percutaneous endoscope gastrostomy
- Enterostomy/jejunostomy
What is partial parenteral nutrition?
40-70% of nutritional requirements are given through the peripheral vein
What it total parenteral nutrition?
100% of nutritional requirements are given through the jugular vein
What should you check in urine?
- Colour
- Turbidity
- Volume (should be 1-2ml/kg/hr)
- Frequency
What should be check in faeces?
- Colour
- Consistency
- Volume
- Frequency
What should be checked in vomit?
- Appearance
- Frequency
- Force
- Quantity
How would you take a rectal temperature?
- Clean thermometer
- Check mercury level
- Add lubricant
- Restrain patient
- Hold the thermometer in for 30-60 seconds
- Wipe clean and read and record temperature
What do elevated rectal temperatures mean?
- Pyrexia
- Hyperthermia
What do reduced rectal temperatures mean?
- Hypothermia
- Depressed
- Unconscious
What is the best artery to take a pulse reading?
Femoral
What does tachycardia mean?
Increased heart and pulse rates
What does bradycardia mean?
Decreased heart and pulse rates
What does sinus arrhythmia mean?
Normal variation in pulse rate between inspiration and expiration
What does hypodynamic/hypokinetic mean?
Weak pulse
What does hyperdynamic/hyperkinetic mean?
Strong and jerky pulse
What does tachypnoea mean?
Increased respiratory rate
What does bradypnoea mean?
Decreased respiratory rate
What does apnoea mean?
No breathing
What is the normal temperature reading for a dog?
38.3-39.2 degrees C
What is a normal temperature reading for a cat?
38.2-38.6 degrees C
What is a normal temperature reading for a rabbit?
38.5-40.0 degrees C
What is a normal temperature reading for a guinea pig?
37.2-39.5 degrees C
What is a normal temperature reading for a horse?
37.2-38.9 degrees C
What is the normal pulse rate for a dog?
70-140 beats/min
What is the normal pulse rate for a cat?
100-200 beats/min
What is the normal pulse rate for a rabbit?
130-325 beats/min
What is a normal pulse rate for a horse?
30-40 beats/min
What is a normal pulse rate for a guinea pig?
230-380 beats/min
What is the normal respiration rate for a dog?
10-30 breaths/min
What is the normal respiration rate for a cat?
20-30 breaths/min
What is the normal respiration rate for a rabbit?
30-60 breaths/min
What is the normal respiration rate for a horse?
12-20 breaths/min
What is the normal respiration rate for a guinea pig?
90-150 breaths/min
