Triage Flashcards
Define triage
Method of sorting patients based on the order in which they should be seen
-necessary due to limited resources: time, personnel, space, supplies/equipment
Should you triage a patient that is actively dying and has a poor chance of survival over one that is critical but has a chance of survival?
No- need to put resources into cases that are able to be saved
-can offer pain meds and humane euthanasia
T/F: triage is ongoing
True- patients are reassessed all the time and reorganized based on the urgency of intervention
What are the 3 organs necessary for life?
Heart, lungs and brain
-if any of these stop working, you almost instantly will die (in seconds to minutes)
How long should a triage assessment take?
Less than a minute
What should the neuro assessment for triage look like?
Not a full neuro exam
- assess mentation
- determine if the patient is actively seizuring
What are the different mentation categories?
Normal: responds normally and appropriately to stimuli
Dull: responds to all stimuli but with less vigor than normal
Stuporous: only responds to noxious stimuli
Comatose: doesn’t respond at all (even to painful stimuli)
Dead: no longer alive
Demented: responds inappropriately to stimuli
If a patient is actively seizuring, how should you triage them?
Higher than most other cases
What should you include on your respiratory triage assessment?
Assess respiratory rate, and effort (labored, open mouthed, or distressed)
-is the patient breathing?
When is increased abdominal effort observed during respiratory compromise?
During expiration
What signs may indicate that a patient is in respiratory distress?
-Cyanosis in late stage
-open mouth breathing, labored breathing
-signs of stress (abnormal body positions)
What should be included in a cardiovascular triage exam?
Assess perfusion through the HR (or pulse rate), MM color, capillary refill time, mentation, temperature, pulse quality
What is the normal HR for dogs and cats? What should you look for as cause for concern during triage exams?
Dogs: look for tachycardia (sign of shock)
- normal HR in dogs is 60-120 bpm though higher may be okay if the dog is excited/happy/agitated
Cats: look for bradycardia
- normal HR for cats in the hospital is 180-240 bpm
- healthy cats at home have a lower resting HR, should assume all cats are stressed in the clinic
- cats become bradycardic when they are in shock
What may impact the resting HR of a veterinary patient?
Fitness level, stress/anxiety at given moment, age
BREED/SIZE DOES NOT AFFECT RESTING HR
What is the main factor that contributes to mucous membrane color?
Hemoglobin- specifically oxyhemoglobin
- if the structure of hemoglobin is changed, the color reflected will be different
-if oxygen molecules are removed, aka deoxyhemoglobin, the MM will appear blue
-if hemoglobin is destroyed and undergoes toxic changes, methemoglobin will result and MM will appear brown
-if no hemoglobin is present, gums will appear pale
-if bilirubin (a byproduct of hemoglobin breakdown) is present, gums will appear yellow
