Patient Observation Flashcards
When does initial observation begin?
as soon as the patient enters the practice
What should be allowed for when the patient first arrives in practice?
adjustment time and understanding of behavior of animals in unfamiliar environments
What distance away from the patient should your first impressions be gained?
further away to observe
What sort of environment should be stimulated as much as possible?
normal
What information can be vital in supporting the patient and understanding what brought them to the practice?
owner history
What is an admission questionnaire?
short questionnaire completed by owner at the same time as admission consent form
What is the aim of an admission questionnaire?
to provide a tailored approach to hospital stay and try to reduce patient stress.
what sort of things may be asked on an admission questionnaire?
preferred food and feed times, walking schedule, an specific individual needs
What measures can be put in place within a kennel to reduce cat stress?
hiding places and pheromones like Feliway
What is SOAP used for?
assessing the patient
What does SOAP stand for?
subjective, objective, assessment, planning
What is involved in subjective assessment?
from afar gaining initial thoughts on patient (e.g. are they happy, depressed, scared, relaxed?), your first impressions
What is involved in an objective assessment?
an examination, findings are measured and recorded
What are two things to consider before beginning an objective assessment?
how will the assessment be carried out?
how will the patient be restrained?
What are the 13 areas to be examined in an objective assessment?
head nares and upper respiratory tract oral cavity mucous membranes eyes ears skin and hair thorax abdomen pelvis and hind limb tail anus and perineum reproductive organs
What are you looking for during an objective assessment of the head?
posture: is it normal for breed and species
musculature: is it symmetrical and normal
general palpation: are there lumps or enlarged lymph nodes
What are you looking for during an objective assessment of the nares and upper respiratory tract?
no discharge: note presence and colour if there is any
moist
adequate airflow: particularly in cats and rabbits
any respiratory noise (stertor or stridor)
What is stertor?
noise on inspiration
What is stridor?
noise on expiration
What are you looking for during an objective assessment of the oral cavity?
mouth jaw movement and alignment tongue teeth hard and soft palettes skin and hair
What are you looking for during an objective assessment of the mucous membranes (mms)?
moist: if not indicative of dehydration
colour
What do mucous membranes show?
state of perfusion and therefore the state of circulation
What would pale mucous membranes indicate?
poor perfusion/circulation
e.g. hemorrhage or anemia
what would congested (red) mucous membranes indicate?
sepsis/fever
What would hypoxic or cyanotic (blue) mucous membranes indicate?
respiratory difficulty
What would icteric (jaundiced) mucous membranes indicate?
liver disease, RBC destruction, bile problems
what is normal capillary refill time?
less than 2 seconds
What is capillary refill time?
time taken for capillaries to refill with blood after compression for a short period
What are you looking for during an objective assessment of the eyes?
are they open blephrospasm eyes the same size discharge: note colour if present entropian ectropian nictating membrane pupil assessment: arisocoria, pupillary light reflex, sclera assessment (colour of white of the eye)
What is blephrospasm?
squinting
What is entropian?
internal rotation of eyelid margin
what is ectropian?
external rotation of eyelid margin