Emergency and Critical Care

Key Learning Objectives:

• Describe the triage process and explain how it benefits your patients.
• Classify the principles and practical aspects of critical patient monitoring.
• Define the perfusion parameters and explain how these can be used to identify hypoperfusion and monitor a patient’s response to treatment.
• Implement the various mechanisms to assess perfusion and monitoring of clinical parameters, and be able to interpret their readings, including ECG abnormalities.
• Recognise dypnoeic patients and assess them for their degree of respiratory impairment.
• Discuss the causes of respiratory disease and state the various oxygen supplementation techniques.
• Discuss the collection of arterial and venous blood samples for blood gas analysis and be able to explain their importance.

Key Learning Objectives:

•  Define the difference between hypovolaemia and dehydration and how they are treated using fluid therapy. 
•  Recognise the importance of electrolytes and their role in homeostasis.  
•  Describe the different types of intravenous fluids including crystalloids, colloids, and blood products. 
•  Recognise the different types of shock: hypovolaemic, maldistributed, septic, and cardiogenic.
•  Solve administration calculations for the correct administration:  Constant Rate Infusions (CRI’s), Crystalloids, Colloids, and Blood products.   
•  Describe the importance of how blood transfusions should be safely administered and describe the contraindications of blood transfusions, and their associated adverse reactions. 

Key Learning Objectives:

• Describe the measures of caring/treating for a patient presenting with cardiac disease. 
• Classify the treatment of acute renal failure and the underlying causes of pre-renal and post-renal failure. 
• State the pathophysiology of endocrine and metabolic emergencies, including hypoadrenocorticism. 
• Discuss common poisons seen in companion animals and list antidotes and treatments.
• State the common acute medical gastrointestinal emergencies and discuss their treatment and management. 
• Describe the pathpathology of a ‘blocked cat’ and the available treatment options including the associated nursing care.  
• Classify laboratory sampling techniques, processing, storage, and data recording. Apply knowledge to using the microscope to examine blood smears, urinary sediment, and basic cytology. 
• Classify the most common neurological emergencies and their initial treatment. 
• State the most common haematological abnormalities and their treatment.
• Discuss the treatment and nursing considerations of a patient with pancreatitis.

Key Learning Objectives:

•  State the priorities for stabilising and treating traumatic wounds and fractures on initial presentation and be able to implement effective assessment, lavage and debridement of wounds.
•  Explain the principles and practical aspects of the latest advanced wound dressings.
•  Identify how urinary trauma presents, and how patients are stabilised prior to surgery.
•  Describe the pathophysiology of head trauma and nursing requirements demonstrating the use of the small animal coma scoring scale.
•  Identify how to deal with thoracic trauma patients and prioritise their treatment.
•  Understand the principles of ultrasound imaging and be familiar with how to set up and maintain the ultrasound machine and probes.
•  Employ the principles of POCUS scanning to triage emergency cases and identify specific equipment and materials required for ultrasound-guided procedures.
•  Explain the different radiographic techniques available, their pros and cons, and their uses in specific situations.
•  Evaluate radiographic image quality to ensure diagnostic radiographs are available for interpretation, demonstrating basic film reading, and being able to identify radiographic artefacts and faults.

Key Learning Objectives:

• Identify common complications which can arise related to anaesthesia outcomes. 
• Describe the anaesthesia of patients with respiratory disease. 
• Discuss the pathophysiology behind various cardiac diseases and how we may modify anaesthesia protocols for the cardiac patient.
• Define the range of analgesics available, including opioids, NSAIDs, and local anaesthetics. 
• Recognise pain in companion animals and gain confidence in the use of veterinary pain scoring systems. 

Key Learning Objectives:

• Describe the correct preparation of the emergency patient for surgery.
• Explain the importance of correct asepsis in preparing patients for Surgery.
• Describe the pathophysiology behind gastric dilatation and volvulus, and the emergency and surgical treatment options. 
• Explain the terms septic peritonitis and haemoabdomen, the potential causes and surgical treatment options, discussing the nursing care of these patients.  
• Discuss the common important clinical signs associated with reproductive and pediatric/neonatal emergencies including the pre-, intra-, and post-operative cesarean patient. 
• Describe the common ophthalmological emergencies, treatment, and nursing care. 

Key Learning Objectives:

• Develop triage approaches in rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets and small mammals.   
• Apply triage approaches to less familiar species: reptiles and avian patients.   
• Recognise the anaesthesia & analgesia considerations in the emergency small animal patient.   
• Recognise the anaesthesia & analgesia considerations in the emergency reptile and bird patient.   
• Establish critical care techniques and nursing for the avian, reptilian and small mammal emergency patients.   
• Identify common emergency conditions of rabbits, ferrets and small mammals.   
• Identify common emergency conditions of the reptilian and avian patients.   
• Develop an approach to diagnosis and treatment of common toxins in the avian patient.   
• Review CPR in exotic patients.  

Key Learning Objectives:

• Classify the requirements and management of recumbent patients. 
• State the nutritional requirements of trauma and critical care patients. 
• Explain the different techniques for administering enteral nutrition to patients including: 
  • Nasogastric tubes 
  • Oesophagostomy tubes 
  • Gastrostomy tube 
• Identify and explain the use of Total parenteral and Partial parenteral Nutrition.  
• Explain how to manage a variety of catheters and drains in an aseptic manner including urinary catheters, thoracic drains, and tracheostomy tubes.  
• Perfect your knowledge of the importance of maintaining effective infection control protocols when dealing with critical patients in order to prevent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).

Key Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the new approach to veterinary CPR and implement effective CPR within a team.
• Demonstrate correct suturing techniques relevant to emergency patients including tracheostomy tube placement and thoracic drain placement.
• Describe and demonstrate the techniques for administering/supplementing oxygen, including placement of nasal oxygen cannulas and transtracheal oxygen administration.
• Interpret and explain the correct placement of various feeding tubes, including nasogastric and oesophagostomy tubes.
• Discuss the role of the veterinary nurse and the end-of-life care of a patient.