Soft Tissue Trauma Flashcards
What conditions present true veterinary emergencies?
- Respiratory distress
- Neurological abnormalities
- Bleeding from body orifices
- Rapid, progressive abdominal distension
- Dystocia
- Collapse
- Extreme pain
- Fractures
- Severe wounds
- Urinary obstruction
- Persistent vomiting
- Toxin ingestion
Outline the advice that should be given to an owner in case of a veterinary emergency
- Encourage bringing to practice ASAP
- Need to protect the spine (lift gently on rigid board)
- Place in confined space if suspect fracture to minimise movement
- Direct pressure on active haemorrhage
- Calm owner before transport, ensure know the route
Outline the criteria for a P1 (top priority) emergency case
- History of head or spinal trauma
- History consistent with internal injuries
- Life threatening haemorrhage (chest, abdomen worst)
- Cardiorespiratory compromise
- Diagnose based on history, observation and physical examination
- Re-assess -cardiovascular function can deterioratem, CNS signs may become more obvious
What action is required for a P1/top priority emergency case?
Immediate action, high risk of death
Outline the criteria for P2 emergency cases
- Do not move, need stabilisation prior to moving e.g. fracture, tendon rupture/laceration, joint instability, vascular or neurological damage
- Esp. important for large animals
Outline the criteria for P3 emergency cases
- Require urgent attention, but may not be immediately life threatening
- Synovial involvement (can wait 24-48hrs)
- Bony involvement
- Contaminated wounds
Outline the criteria for P4 emergency cases
- Delayed action
- Do not require emergency treatment or urgent action
- Must rule out all previous problems, be prepared to evaluate findings and diagnosis
- Explain to owner what to look for in case of deterioration
In an emergency case, outline the initial assessment of the patient
- If lame, assess degree, appearance of limb may not match up with degree of lameness
- Conformation/gross abnormalities
- Location and discharge from wound
- Degree of blood loss
- Contamination
Outline what should be investigated in the physical examination of an emergency case
- Presence/absence of crepitus
- Degree of contamination
- Soft tissue involvement
- Bony involvement
- Swellings and effusions
List and justify the diagnostic tests that should be included in the assessment of an emergency case
- Radiogrpahy esp. traumatic injury, abdo and thoracic, assess cardioresp., diaphragm, bladder, pelvis
- Ultrasonography (AFAST, assess effusion, haemorrhage, bladder trauma)
- Synoviocentesis if synovial involvement
- PCV/TP to assess blood loss later in disease progression
- Assessment of other body system function using haematology, biochem, urinalysis esp. if may need surgery
- +/- MRI, CT, gamma scintigraphy
Identify the key features of first aid for acute trauma/wounds
- Control haemorrhage
- Control pain
- Reduce contamination
- Bandaging wounds
- Wound closure
- Splinting of fractures/tendon injuries
How can haemorrahge be controlled in acute trauma/wounds?
- Pressure (bandage or manual)
- Tourniquet
- Ligatures for large vessels
What are the components of analgesia in acute trauma/wound cases?
- NSAIDs
- +/-Opioids (NOT cattle/ruminants)
- Splinting/bandaging to prevent movement of limbs
- +/- sedation
List the NSAIDs that can be used in trauma cases for dogs
- Robenacoxib
- Meloxicam
- Carprofen
List the NSAIDs that can be used in trauma cases for cats
- Robenacoxib
- Meloxicam
- Ketoprofen
List the NSAIDs that can be used in trauma cases for horses
- Flunixin meglumine
- Meloxicam
- Ketoprofen
List the NSAIDs that can be used in trauma cases for cattle
- Ketoprofen
- Meloxicam
What conditions would containdicate the use of NSAIDs in an acute trauma/wound case?
- Hypovolaemia
- Severe haemorrhage
- Renal/liver compromise
List the opioids that can be used in acute trauma/wounds in dogs
- Methadone
- Buprenorphine
- Fentanyl
List the opioids that can be used in acute trauma/wounds in cats
- Methadone
- Buprenorphine
List the opioids that can be used in acute trauma/wounds in horses
- Butorphanol
- Buprenorphine
- Morphine
What is a potential complication when using opioids in horses?
- Can lead to excitation, combine with alpha 2 agonist to reduce this
- Pethidine will lead to horse becoming completely uncontrollable
What are the potential risks when using opioids in acute trauma/wound cases?
- Respiratory depression
- Bradycardia
- NB: Do not let this stop you using them!
How can wound contamination be reduced in an emergency case?
- Gross decontamination
- Clipping
- Lavage
- Antiseptics
- Debridement
- KY jelly in wound
List the different categories of wound closure, and identify the factors that underlie the decision making process
- Primary closure, delayed primary closure, delayed secondary closure, second intention healing
- Depends on contamination, ability to appose wound edges, degree of dead space below
Briefly outline splinting of fractures in emergency cases
- Depends on region, in SA, proximal limb fractures difficult to splint
- Splint the joints above and below
- Open fractures must be splinted
- Robert Jones adequate for distal limb fractures
- Do not pull exposed tissue back through skin
What are the main functions of applying bandages in acute trauma/wound cases?
- Reduces fluid accumulation
- Reduces contamination
- Reduces movement
- Prevents dehydration
What are the potential consequences of incorrect bandaging?
- Tissue maceration and infection
- Continued contamination
- Sloughing of new epithelialisation
- Continued pain for the patient
- Impairment of vascular supply
What are the key client considerations in decisions regarding equine wounds?
- Prognosis for athletic function
- Prognosis for pasture soundness
- Cost
- Duration of box rest
- Time out of work
- Amount of nursing required
Which equine injuries carry a poor prognosis for recovery?
- Compound, open fractures with significant contamination of soft tissue
- Complete fractures involving the femur, humerus and tibia
- Complete lacerations of SDFT, DDFT, SL
- Complete laceration of SDFT, DDFT and distal sesamoidean ligaments
What are the 2 broad categories of soft tissue injuries?
- Percutaneous
- Overstrain
What is the key determinant of prognosis for percutaneous soft tissue injuries?
Location and degree of damage
In which locations do percutaneous injuries carry a worse prognosis?
Palmar/platar aspect injuries worse, more difficult to heal
How do overstrain soft tissue injuries occur?
- Overload leading to breakdown of structure
- Can be acute onset overload or chronic condition
Compare the incidence of chronic and acute overstrain soft tissue injuries and briefly explain this
- acute onset overload: overwhelm tensile strength
- Chronic: more common, microdamage progressing to degree where structure breaks down in one event
Which tendons are most commonly affected by soft tissue injury in horses?
- SDFT (esp. race horses)
- DDFT