Toxicologic Emergencies: General Info

Question 1

What is toxicity?

Answer 1

exposure to a poison by an animal

Question 2

Clinical signs of toxicity can be similar to those caused by what kind of disease?

Answer 2

metabolic diseases involving various organ systems​

Question 3

What is very important in the management of toxic patients?

Answer 3

Owner confirmation of animal exposure to a toxin

Question 4

What is this describing?

1. Animal should be brought to the veterinary hospital immediately​
2. OK for owner to bathe animal with topical toxin exposure prior to bringing to hospital, if animal is stable​
3. Directing owner to administer an emetic at home prior to bringing the animal to the hospital is done at the veterinarian’s discretion

Answer 4

Management of animal toxicities

Question 5

What are 2 things the owner should do when dealing with an animal who has been exposed to a toxin?

Answer 5

1. Owner should protect themselves against toxin exposure and injury when handling the animal​
2. Owner should bring a sample of the toxin or its container to the veterinary hospital​

Question 6

When should these things happen?

1. Perform triage assessment of animal​
2. Implement any measures necessary to stabilize the animal’s condition​
3. Collect a thorough history and try to determine what toxin the animal was exposed to​

Answer 6

On arrival to the veterinary hospital​

Question 7

What type of exposure should you use these prevention of further absorption methods?

1. Bathe animal with mild liquid dishwashing detergent​
2. Wear protective clothing (gloves, apron, mask, oggles) to avoid self-contamination​
3. Vacuum animal prior to bathing if exposed to a powdered toxin​

Answer 7

Topical Exposure

Question 8

What type of exposure should you use these prevention of further absorption methods?
1. Rinse eyes with large volumes of physiologic saline for 20-30 minutes​

Answer 8

Ocular Exposure

Question 9

What type of exposure should you use these prevention of further absorption methods?

1. induced emesis
2. gastric lavage
3. absorbents
4. chathartics

Answer 9

ingested toxins

Question 10

What method of prevention of further absorption for ingested toxins is this?

1. Apomorphine 0.04 mg/kg IV or 1.5-6 mg tablet, dissolved and placed subconjunctivally in dogs​
2. Hydrogen peroxide (3%) PO 1 tablespoon per 20 lbs. (difficult to administer to cats)​
3. Xylazine 0.44 mg/kg IM or SC in cats​

Answer 10

Induced emesis

Question 11

What method of prevention of further absorption for ingested toxins is this?

1. Washing out the stomach using tepid water infused through a large bore orogastric tube​
2. Performed 2-4 hours after toxin ingestion​

Answer 11

gastric lavage

Question 12

What method of prevention of further absorption for ingested toxins is this?

1. Activated charcoal binds toxic substances and prevents their absorption from the GI tract​
2. Activated charcoal is available as a suspension, paste, tablet, or powder​

Answer 12

absorbents

Question 13

What method of prevention of further absorption for ingested toxins is this?

1. Chemical substances that increase the amount of water in the intestinal lumen and stimulate its evacuation– sorbitol is an example​
2. Help remove the toxin and activated charcoal-bound toxin from the GI tract​

Answer 13

chathartics