The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice
-
Many conditions of pediatric patients require fluid therapy. Depending on the veterinarian's assessment of hydration and perfusion status, fluids can be administered orally, subcutaneously, intraperitoneally, intravenously, or by the intraosseous route. ⋯ Typical parameters used to assess hydration status in adult animals do not always apply to pediatric patients. Veterinarians should be aware of differences between pediatric patients and adult animals in terms of physical assessment, common presentations, and fluid requirements for resuscitation and maintenance needs.
-
Hypothyroidism is the most common endocrinopathy in the dog. Rather than being a comprehensive review of all possible thyroid function tests, the focus in this article is on the logical progression of test choice, highlighting total thyroxine, free thyroxine, triiodothyronine, thyrotropin (TSH), and antithyroid antibodies. This article includes extensive discussion of the current status of the canine TSH assay and the potential for improving this assay.
-
Decision analysis enables outstanding information needs to be correctly identified and ensures that all the options are accurately represented so that appropriate decisions can be made. The aim of this article is to provide an introduction to the use of decision analysis in the practice of evidence-based veterinary medicine. Decision trees using utilities and economic outcomes are presented. The diagnostic process, including the critical appraisal of clinical decision support systems that may be used in this process, is described.
-
Vet. Clin. North Am. Small Anim. Pract. · Jan 2007
ReviewCompassion fatigue and the veterinary health team.
Although the term "compassion fatigue" is often used interchangeably with the term "burnout", they are two different concepts. Compassion fatigue stems from an overcommitment to work that involves caring for others and is considered by some to be a kind of secondary posttraumatic stress disorder. Because they often invest themselves deeply in the animals they care for, veterinarians, technicians, and other members of an animal health team may be particularly vulnerable to compassion fatigue. This article summarizes the current state of knowledge about compassion fatigue, describes its symptoms, and suggests ways to prevent or overcome it.
-
Vet. Clin. North Am. Small Anim. Pract. · Jul 2005
ReviewRegional anesthesia and analgesia for oral and dental procedures.
Regional anesthesia and analgesia benefit the client, the patient, and the practitioner, and their use is becoming the standard for care. Familiarity with the processes involved in the generation of pain aids in understanding the benefits of preemptive and multimodal analgesia. Local anesthetic blocks should be a key component of a treatment plan, along with opioids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists, and other therapies. Nerve blocks commonly used for dentistry and oral surgery include the infraorbital, maxillary, mental,and mandibular blocks.