First aid vn117 First aid & emergency care for small animals Emergency: A set of circumstances or a sudden unexpected event demands urgent action First aid: The immediate treatment of injured animals or those suffering from sudden illness 3 aims & 4 rules (An emergency in the absence of a vet is not a licence for the vet nurse doing first aid to practice veterinary medicine) Aims Preserve life Prevent suffering Prevent the patient deteriorating Rules Stay calm Maintain the ABCs Control haemorrhage Contact the vet The role of the NZ first aider Triage-sort emergencies from non urgent situations attend to life threatening injuries in the absence of the vet Notify the vet asap reduce suffering & promote healing Classification of emergencies Life threatening and serious emergencies Lesser emergency Dysentry, protracted vomiting or diarrhoea and significant depression and lethargy Difficulty urinating but still passing urine Collapse or unconsciousnessStings Open fractures or those with wounds close to the broken ends Small wounds or burns Gaping wounds, severe haemorrhage or burns abscess DystociaWeight bearing lameness Serious emergencies require transport to the clinic without delay and may require life saving immediate action Minor emergency may require immediate veterinary examination or a scheduled appointment Initial action plan-DRABCS Danger! begin scene assessment from a distance and think of safety issues- self, bystanders, animal Response! level of consciousness-Alert or only responds to voice or pain, is it unconscious or dead? YELL FOR HELP check Airway, Breathing, Circulation (15 sec)& Severe bleeding and treat any life threatening injuries (CPR etc start asap) ONCE LIFE THREATENING PROBLEMS ARE SORTED OUT Tip of the nose to tip of the tail examination, Stabilisation of shock and other first aid conditions Transport to and contact the vet as soon as possible Danger! Animals in distress may react abnormally and bite Muzzle may be required If airway or breathing are compromised the animal is usually too distressed to attack effectively and a muzzle may be lifethreatening Response Response Is the animal alert? or responds only to voice or pain? Is the animal unconscious or dead? Call for help if not responsive CPR protocol Recent changes Assessment: ABC Treatment: CAB Background to changes in CPR protocol Previous veterinary CPR protocols based on human advice RECOVER initiative (Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation)is an evidence based review of veterinary literature More information atComplete overview in the June 2012 issue of Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care The chain of survival Early recognition High quality CPR Post resuscitation care Survival rates for animals in a clinic with anaesthetic emergency nearly 50% Very, very poor survival rates without support facilities and medication The Unresponsive patient Assessment ABC: takes