Small animal first aid Flashcards
What are the aims of first aid?
Preserve life
Prevent suffering
Prevent deterioration
Promote recovery
What are the 5 rules of first aid?
Safety Airway Breathing CPR Help - can start with this
Emergency telephone call?
Nurse may be first point of contact, especially if OOH
Listen to owner - be patient and try to calm them "Best understand to best help" - get client and patient details (call back) - get brief history - what? when? how?
Advice owner
- care required by owner
- coming to practice - when?
- ensure understanding (eg may be in holiday and nit sure where to go)
- ask for ETA
Inform team and prep for arrival
Who may carry out first aid?
Anyone
Providing they understand and reach the aims of first-aid
Preparation conisderations?
Number of staff required - who? At least 1 VS ans 1 VN - depends on situation and size of patient Suitable kennel and/or location Equipment needed Consumables (eg needs, syringes) Restraint, handling, transport equipment Paperwork - admit/triage/CPR forms
primary vs secondary survey?
primary
- main/first focus
- ABCs
secondary
- later focus
- full body examination
Airway and breathing
why first?
breathing = heart beating
heart beating ≠ breathing
airway and breathing
considerations?
is there a patent (open) airway
- any abnormal chest sounds?
- blockage?
- gulping?
- if able to open can you see a foreign body?
is the patient breathing?
- chest movement
- nose/mouth movements
laboured breathing?
- struggling
with shallow breathing?
- likely collapsed/recumbent
is the patient conscious?
- if not act now
- may be struggling to breathe
what to do if struggling to breathe or not breathing?
struggling:
suction
- remove fluid from airways
oxygen
not breathing: intubation - tube down the trachea tracheostomy - if obstruction in upper airway - incision into trachea IPPV (intermittent positive pressure ventilation) - breathing for patient
circulation assessment?
mucous membrane colour capillary refill time heart rate and rhythm - normal? pulse pressure - strong or weak? pulse deficit - heart rate without a pulse temperature sock symptoms haemorrhaging
circulation assistance?
defibrillation
haemorrhage control
IV access
emergency IVFT (intravenous fluid therapy)
causes and control of haemhorrage?
trauma clotting problem - eg bleeding from nose internal bleeding - requires checks to realise - checks suggest haemorrhage but nothing external to see
direct digital pressure
pressure bandage
indirect pressure
tourniquet
haemorrhage control methods?
direct digital pressure
pressing fingers direct onto wounds
- apply pressure
- use sterile swab or bandage material
risks
- pushing any protruding objects further in
- eg FB, bacteria or broken bone
advantages?
- quick and effective
disadvantages
- temporary
- lose use of a hand so harder to perform more checks
haemorrhage control methods?
pressure bandage
place bandage around wound
- adds pressure
- don’t need hand
risks
- pushing any protruding objects further in
- eg FB, bacteria or broken bone
advantages
- easy to apply
- can be left in place
- hands-free to carry on monitoring patient
disadvantages
- depends on wound and where wound is
- no easy on large wounds or head wounds
- easy on limbs
patient is bleeding through current pressure bandage?
don’t remove
add more
need current pressure to reduce blood lose
if remove bandage that had dried onto wound
- disrupt clotting that has started
- so has to start again
haemorrhage control methods?
indirect pressure
if bleeding quite a lot
applying pressure further up artery that is supplying that area
- stopping blood getting to wounds point
- specific pressure points
only used for legs and tail - cant restrict blood to organs
risks
- difficult to locate pressure points
- wasting time so continue bleeding
advantages
- hands-free so can continue monitoring
- equipment always available
- no pressure on protruding objects
disadvantages
- has a delayed response due to remaining blood below pressure to be removed
- checking on point - waiting for response - may not be at right spot
pressure points for indirect pressure?
brachial artery
- medual aspect of distal humerus
- reduce blood flow to lower forelimb
femoral artery
- medial aspect of femur
- reduce blood flow to lower hind limb
coccygeal artery
- ventral aspect of tail
- reduce blood flow to lower tail
haemorrhage control methods?
torniquet
commercial or made one (eg bandage or ties)
pressure above wound
- stop blood getting to wound itself
risks
- cutting off blood supply to limbs
- so should never be placed for longer than 15 mins
- lack of o2 causes damage
advantages
- quick and easy
- most crash boxes have one
disadvantages
- blood supply is cut off
- easily damage tissues
shock?
definition? types?
a state resulting from inadequate blood prefusion to tissues
- not getting enough oxygen
- tissues damage and die
- may cause death
hypovolaemic chock
distributive shock
cardiogenic shock
obstructive shock
hypovolaemic shock?
most common
caused by reduced circulating blood volume
- lost blood from haemorrhage
- or lost fluid portion of blood (eg from vomiting or diarrhoea)
body responds through vasoconstriction
distributive shock?
inflammatory mediators cause blood vessels to dilate
cause increase in circulation system size so not enough blood to fill
subtypes:
- neurogenic shock - eg head trauma
- anaphylactic sock - allergic reaction
- endotoxic/septic shock - reaction to toxins
cardiogenic shock?
impaired heart function
- not pumping well
- so not enough oxygen reaching tissues
hypotension - low blood pressure
obstructive stock?
something preventing return of blood to heart
- either within or outside of circulation
- eg blood clot
clincal signs of shock?
pale/dry mucous membrane - bright read with distributive shock because of vasodilation slow CRT - fast in distributive weak or rapid pulse - depending on severity - will start fast to counteract shock - as continued and not treated heart will deteriorate so rate will slow down cold extremities - warm for distributive rapid, shallow respiation - attempt to take in my oxygen poor skin turgor - dry, no elastcity - dehydrated decreased urine output - little fluid
later stages of shock : reduced level of consciousness collapse convulsions - seizering - not enough oxygen to brain
shock treatment?
dicover cause and treat that
- eg haemorrhage control (cardiogenic)
- eg antibiotics or antihistamines (distributive)
keep warm and comfortable
IVFT
- not best for cardiogenic as adds more pressure to heart
observations
- TPR, CRT, MM
- pupillary reflex (pupil reflex with light)
- palpebral reflex (blink when touching inside of eye)
TLC
- keep aware of surroundings (stocking and talking) to keep in consciousness
can deteriorate quickly
- record continuously
I relatively stable
- record every 5-10 mins
common first aid emergencies?
wounds burns and scolds poisons - eg insect stings unconsciousness/collapse seizures/epilepsy fractures and luxation (dislocation) sensory organ damage - eyes, ears tongue major organ damage - heart, spleen, kidneys
wounds considerations?
open or closed?
- open - broken skin surface
- closed - internal bleeding
may or may not be appropriate to ask owner to apply pressure
- depend on situation
- no if fractured leg - more pain
- yes if easily accessible with no protruding objects
bring down asap
- regardless of info given
- can over or under exaggerate - perception
how to treat open wounds?
haemorrhage control - and assess for shock remove foreign bodies - eg bacteria clip and clean dress and re-dress surgery - may need sutures
how to treat closed wounds?
cold compress - for vasoconstriction drain - needle and syringe dressing/bandage - compresses - protect from any further damage (padding) surgery - if internal bleed
burns vs scold?
causes?
both types of wounds
burn - dry heat - eg. fire/electricity
scold - moist heat - eg. boiling water or hot oil
burn/scold considerations?
size - small or majority of skin? depth - superficial? (surface) - deep? (penetrating into tissues underneath) danger to yourself - if electricity burns make sure off before handling - if chemical/hot water burn wear gloves and try to remove first poisoning of patient - could lick chemical burns - try and wash off as fast as possible infections - there is a break in skin so is common
burn/scold treatment?
bring to practice asap COOL running water warm the patient - lose lot of heat through burns - blanket, rugs etc dress the wound - reduce fluid loss from weeping - keeps heat in and bacteria out - use cling film at home - specific dressing given in practice replace fluid loss - vet prescribes fluid analgesia assess for shock - hypovolaemic
types of poisons?
can be oral or via skin
antifreeze - cause kidney failure pesticides - rat bait and slug bait fungicides - often on grass or in streams insecticides - eg dog flee treatment toxic to cats household chemicals - bleach/white spirit inhalants - smoke/carbon monoxide plants - lillies/ragwort/daffodiles medicines - paracetamol foods - mouldy food - grapes, chocolate, mushrooms
poison considerations?
what is the poison?
- package/samples?
when was the animal in contact with the poison/when did they digest it?
did they definitely eat the poison
- any other animals nearby?
how much was eaten?
- danger dose dependant
what is their species, breed, age?
- danger also species dependant
showing any symptoms?
- vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, seizures, tremors
- sample of vomit or diarrhoea
