Triage and Major Body System Assessment Flashcards
When an emergency patient is presented, what are the three first things that are done?
ABC’s (airway, breathing, circulation), Capsule history, major body system assessment.
What are the three major body systems?
Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Neurological
What are the most important things in respiratory system assessment?
Respiratory rate, respiratory auscultation, observe from afar where possible.
What is Paradoxical abdominal movement and what does it indicate?
When chest cavity expands, abdomen moves in. This is abnormal. Indicates pathology such as diaphragmatic rupture.
How is it important to auscultate the lungs?
In noughts and crosses pattern, listening for changes.
What is Dyspnea?
Shortness of breath
Where in the respiratory system does inspiratory effort and reffered airway noise (loud) on auscultation indicate there is a problem?
Upper airway
Where in the respiratory system does expiratory effort and wheezing on auscultation indicate there is a problem?
Lower airway
Where in the respiratory system does some inspiratory effort and mixed patterns, and harsh lung sounds or crackles on auscultation indicate there is a problem?
Pulmonary Parenchyma
Where in the respiratory system does short, shallow breathing, and dull lung sounds and distance heart sounds on auscultation indicate there is a problem?
Pleural space
Where does Irregular (often slow) breathing and quieter lung sounds on auscultation indicate there is a problem?
Neurological problem
What are the two important things to assess neurological system?
Gait and mentation
How can mentation status be classified into four categories? Explain them.
Alert, Obtunded (dull but rousable), Stuporous (only rousable by painful stimuli), Comatose
What are the important things to consider when assessing the Cardiovascular system?
Mucous membranes (colour and capillary refill time), Heart rate and auscultation sounds, Pulse evaluation (location, rate, rhythm, profile, duration).
What colour are normal mucous membranes, and what is a normal capillary refill time (CRT)?
Normal MM = Pink
Normal CRT = 1-13/4 seconds.
What are the normal resting heart rates of dogs, small dogs and cats?
Dogs = 80-120bpm
Small dogs = 120-140bpm
Cats = 180-200bpm
What does a heart rate >220-240 bpm indicate?
Usually indicates arrythmias.
What are the four types of shock? Explain them.
Hypovolaemic - low circulating BV
Distributive - Inappropriate vasodilation causing alterations in distribution
Cardiogenic - Failure of heart to pump effectively
Obstructive - Obstruction to blood flow
What pulses is it important to be able to feel in the normal animal?
Femoral and metatarsal
If a dog has moderate tachycardia, a pulse profile narrower and higher than normal (bounding/snappy), pinker than normal mucous membranes, rapid CRT (less than 1s) and metatarsal pulses are still palpable, which severity of hypovolaemic shock does this indicate?
Moderate hypovolaemic shock
What effect does moderate hypovolaemia shock have on heart rate, pulse profile, muscous membrane colour, CRT, and metarsal pulses?
Dog has moderate tachycardia, a pulse profile narrower and higher than normal (bounding/snappy), pinker than normal muscous membranes, rapid CRT (less than 1s) and metatarsal pulses are still palpable.
If a dog has tachycardia, narrow and severely decreased amplitude in pulse profile, grey/white mucous membranes, prolonged CRT (>2s) and absent metatarsal pulses, which severity of hypovolaemic shock does this indicate?
Severe hypovolaemia
What effect does severe hypovolaemia have on heart rate, pulse profile, muscous membrane colour, CRT, and metarsal pulses?
Dog has tachycardia, narrow and severely decreased amplitude in pulse profile, grey/white mucous membranes, prolonged CRT (>2s) and absent metatarsal pulses.
What is a normal respiratory rate of an animal?
15-30 breaths per minute
