T3: Other Equipment

Question 1

What equipment may we use for external fixation of a fracture?

Answer 1

• splints
• pins
• casts

Question 2

What equipment may we use for internal fixation of a fracture?

Answer 2

• pins
• wires
• screws
• plates

Question 3

Can electric drills be autoclaved?

Answer 3

NO

but hand-held and air-driven drills can

Question 4

Additional equipment that may be used in a exploratory laparotomy includes:

Answer 4

• laparotomy or abdominal sponges
• abdominal retractors
• bowel holding forceps
• trocar biopsy needles
• urinary catheters
• warmed sterile fluid for irrigation
• suction equipment

Question 5

General non-routine surgery equipment

Depending on the procedure, the veterinarian might require a number of additional items during the surgery. These include:

Answer 5

• plastic adhesive drapes
• suture materials
• needles and syringes
• Penrose drains
• chest drains
• pathological specimen holders/containers

Question 6

Ophthalmic Surgery Equipment

list?

Answer 6

• Iris scissors
• Stevens tendon scissors
• Graeffe eye speculum
• Bowman’s lachrymal probe
• Iris tissue forceps
• Ophthalmic scissors and needle holders
• Brooks lachrymal duct cannula (horses)

Question 7

What is an electrocautery used for?

Answer 7

• for coagulation of small blood vessels in the skin.
• A probe with a metal loop which has a direct current (electrons flowing in one direction) is used. The heated wire comes in contact with the tissue

Question 8

What solutions are used for wound lavage?

Answer 8

Warmed, sterile lactated Ringers or normal saline solutions are the most commonly used fluids for irrigation

Question 9

Cryosurgical equipment?

Answer 9

• Cryogens or refrigerants are the bases or liquids applied to tissues via probes in order to extract heat from tissues. Liquid nitrogen is the most commonly used refrigerant
• Cryosurgery used mainly to facilitate the destruction of cancerous tissue

Question 10

What is Diathermy?

Answer 10

• use of a high frequency alternating electrical current which produces local heat at the site of application. It is used for cutting through tissues as well as causing coagulation (haemostasis)
  *

Question 11

What is bipolar diathermy?

Answer 11

Two separate electrodes are applied across the tissue. The handpiece looks like a pair of tissue forceps and can only be used for coagulation. This type gives the greatest control over the location of coagulation.

Question 12

What is monopolar diathermy?

Answer 12

used for both cutting and coagulation. With monopolar coagulation, there is a flow of electrical current from the handpiece (active electrode) through the animal’s body to a ground plate.

Question 13

Precautions for diathermy?

Answer 13

• Patients have to be properly grounded or earthed
• ground plate must be in contact with the animal: a dampened laparotomy sponge or electrosurgical conduction gel is used to facilitate contact with the plate
• Improper earthing may lead to burning to the patient.