Veterinary Practice Animal First Aid - Emergency Scenarios

Introduction

There are many different emergencies will be presented in clinic, and the veterinary nurse have a responsibility to preserve the patient, reduce their suffering, avoid the deterioration of the patient's condition, and relief of acute conditions (Orpet & Welsh 2011).

Triage is the critical element of emergency service; it can identify which patients should have immediate medical attention by estimating their condition (Dobbs 2006).

In this essay, two different emergency cases will be carried out to discuss their triage and first aid, and then compare which case should get the medical attention first.

Hit by Car

A 12 week old cross breed puppy was hit by a car and is now collapsed with pale gums, may caused by anemia, haemorrhage or dyspnea, then induces shock and collapse.

Acorrding to Boden & West (1998), the colour of the gum is dependent on the blood circulation. When enough oxygen combines with the haemoglobin, which is a complex protein pigment inside the erythrocytes, can form oxyhaemoglobin and let the mucous membrane become pale pink color (Aspinall & Cappello 2009). On the other hand, the blood and oxygen do not have enough reaction during animea, haemorrhage or dyspnea, so that the mucous membrane become pale color (Boag & Nichols 2010).

Weiss & Wardrop (2010) stated that when the haemorrhage become severe enough to cause anemia, other clinical signs such as shock also may present. Shock is a state of circulation is unable to transport the oxygen to meet the tissue need, and it can carry out collapse (Welsh & Girling 2010).

Hit by car is a life-threatening emergency; when the dog has arrived in the clinic with HBC, we should contact the veterinary surgeon as soon as possible, carry out the triage and first aid immediately.

According to Orpet & Welsh (2011), primary survey can evaluate the immediate resuscitation is necessary or not. Therefore, the airway should be checked and cleared first by pull the tongue forward and remove the mucus. Secondly, the breathing pattern and respiration rate also should be counted. After that, the haemorrhage also should be monitored. At last, check the circulation by counting the heartbeat, pulse quality, capillary refill time mucous membrane color. Any cardiopulmonary arrest is observed during the primary survey, the cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation should be carried out immediately.

Orpet & Welsh (2011) also pointed out besides checking the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, monitor the neurological system by observe the mental state and others cranial nerve function also is important.

For the first aid, it is important to provide any emergency treatment for the patient to control the physiological effects of shock, and should not wait until an animal is showing signs of shock (Orpet & Welsh 2011).

Firstly, necessary to provide oxygen administration to prevent anoxia, even still do not present any clinical sign. Secondly, it is necessary to stop the haemorrhage to prevent or control the shock by apply direct digital pressure, artery forceps, swabs, dressing pads or bandages. When these control methods have failed, the tourniquets should be used (Orpet & Welsh 2011).

Orpet & Welsh (2011) also stated that provide warmth to prevent heat loss also necessary. Therefore, warmed intravenous fluids also can be used. At last, monitor and recond all the vital signs continuously.

Collapsed after walking on a very hot day

An 11 month old Boxer which has collapsed after walking on a very hot day on the MacLehose trail may caused by heatstroke.

Tabor (2007) stated that the dogs can regulate the self-temperature by the thermoregulatory center through conduction, radiation, convection, and evaporation. Thermoregulatory center is located in anterior hypothalamus; it can maintain the temperature within a range, when temperature become out of this range, the body will have compensatory mechanisms to increasing or decreasing the core temperature.

Tabor (2007) also pointed out when the temperature of the blood increases about 1oC, the heat receptors will be activated, the renal and visceral blood vessels will be constricted and the cutaneous vasodilation will be increased. These reactions lend the blood flow to the periphery to increase cutaneous circulation and the rate of cooling.

However, abnormal body metabolism, exercise and environmental conditions can generate excess heat, when the body can not dissipate the excess heat, the dog may get hyperthermia or heat exhaustion. When the body's compensatory mechanisms are overwhelmed, heat exhaustion can be progressed to heatstroke (Wingfield & Palmer 2009)

According to Tabor (2007), heatstroke belongs to nonpyrogenic hyperthermia, which is caused by environmental conditions such as high humidity and temperature environment, and limited the ability of dissipate heat in our body.

Tabor (2007) also stated that the heatstroke can affect many different organ systems in the animals, "such as cardiac and respiratory systems, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, hematologic and coagulation systems, the CNS, and the musculoskeletal system."

According

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