Triage and major body systems Flashcards
Which systems should first be examinined in the initial emergency examination?
Cardiovascular, respiratory and CNS first then abdominal palpation and body temperature. Stabilisation procedures should be initiated for these prior to the remainder of the PE.
Info from CVS analysis?
Primary heart disease and gives idea of the animal’s systemic perfusion (poor –> shock)
Define ABC. What should you do if this isn’t present
Airway (is there a patent airway?), Breathing (is the animal making useful breathing efforts?), Circulation (is there a heart beat with pulses?). If not, perform CPR.
What perfusion parameters (i.e. haemodynamic parameters) should be observed and noted in all emergency patients during triage? 5
HR, pulse quality, MM colour, CRT, cardiac auscultation findings.
Common conditions that change heamodynamic parameters?
Hypovolaemia, anaemia, sepsis/inflammatory response syndrome, abnormal cardiac function
Normal CRT
1-1.75 seconds
What pulses should be felt? Why?
Femoral and metatarsal. Assess their height (estimate pulse pressure) and width (length the pulse lasts). Both of these allow assessment of the pulse volume. A perceptive clinician can generate a mental image of the pulse profile.
Differentiate stertor and stridor
Stertor - nose problem. Stridor - larynx/pharynx problem
What would a canine HR>220 indicate?
primary arrythmia rather than just sinus tachycardia due to hypovolaemia
Pulse profile of a stressed or painful animal
Slightly higher and narrower pulse profile than a resting animal (this is a normal variation)
Describe the compensatory stage of hypovolaemia dogs
Moderate tachycrdia of 140-160bpm. Pulse is narrower and higher (increased HR, reduced blood volume and increased cardiac contractility). = bounding/snappy pulse. metatarsal pulses still palpable. MM pinker than normal. rapid CRT=<1second
Severe hypovolaemia HR in most dogs = ? Other signs of severe hypovolaemia? 5
180-220, heart sounds often very quiet (mumurs may become apparent following fluid therapy), MM have are white/muddy/grey, CRT is prolonged/absent, femoral pulses are very weak (thready), metatarsal pulses should NOT be palpable.
What would be the different sounds on auscultation for parenchymal disease versus pleural space disease?
PARENCHYMAL = white fluid in alveoli where it should be black (x-ray), harsh and crackly
PLEURAL SPACE = fluid around lungs –>quieter lung sounds
Why might temperature increase with breathing difficulties?
=hyperthermia due to panting impairement
What will most dyspnoeic cats benefit from?
a period in 100% oxygen in an oxygen cage prior to complete MBS evaluation.
Initial things to look at in evaluating the respiratory system - 3
Resp rate, effort and auscultation
Normal resp rate
15-30 bpm
What shouldn’t abdominal effort be confused with?
Paraxodiacal abdominal movement that is a manifestation of severe dyspnoea
Other manifestations of dyspoea
- paradoxical abdominal movement
- straightening of the neck
- open mouth breathing
- other postural movements in non-dogs/cats
- dogs prefer to stand with abducted elbows
- cats prefer to sit in sternal recumbency
- changing body position in cats implies a much worse degree of dyspnoea than it does in dogs.
- lateral recumbency due to dyspnoea is a very serious sign in dogs, often means impending death in the cat
Signs of upper respiratory tract problems
Usually some audible noise (stridor or stertor), typically with a prolonged inspiratory phase, short expuration
Smal aiway disease (e.g. feline asthma) sings
Longer expiratory phase, increased abdominal effort on expiration
How to ensure a complete auscultation?
Divide the chest into a noughts and crosses board then auscult each square. Normally slightly louder and coarser in the cranioventral fields versus dorsocaudal. Symmetrical on both sides (with exception of the area of cardiac dullness in the left cranial fields)
