FASAVA Congress 2017

This pot-pourris explores a selection of insights or retrospective clear-sightedness of situations encountered in small animal practice, with emphasis of the emergency/critical patient that presents acutely and demands immediate attention.                                                                                                                       
The ten golden rules of emergency medicine explain it all and using them empowers the emergency clinician in avoiding mistakes in management. Adherence to the Rule of 20 for in-hospital care of the critical patient has been proven to markedly improves outcomes.                                                                                                                 
Common pitfalls to avoid with routine procedures and routine veterinary medications will be highlighted, with scientific evidence emerging to explain some catastrophes that have been previously baffling.                                                                                                         
Clinical considerations not to be forgotten for certain symptoms and presentations avoid embarrassment later – it’s never happened to me, only to a friend of a friend!                                              
The treatment and differentiation of hypoglycaemia deserves special rumination and there are situations where we can enhance the effect of glucose therapy.                                
Post-trauma complications often don’t become evident for 24 or more hours. Monitoring these patients can be a challenge; the judicial use of old modalities like radiography and newer techniques such as FAST scans with ultrasound enhance sound management – “you see only what you look for; you recognise only what you know"                                                                                                                             Practical interpretation of an ECG tracing can guide therapy in the tachycardic critical patient and will feature in this collection.                                                                                                                                      Pointers in demarking abdominal effusions – haemorrhage, septic effusions, uroperitoneum, bile peritonitis to name some – will complete this erudition.