Emergency Medicine in Action: Practical Techniques for Veterinary Nurses

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious and potentially life-threatening complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). Patients with DKA are often very ill, their management challenging, and concurrent conditions that can substantially affect prognosis are common. Fluid, electrolyte and acid-base disturbances can be significant. The lecture emphasizes the use of central lines in managing these cases, allowing for precise monitoring and administration of fluids and medications. Additionally, the lecture discusses the practical use of Freestyle Libre blood glucose monitors as an alternative method for monitoring blood glucose levels in diabetic patients.
⁠
⁠Learning Outcomes

• Understand the pathophysiology of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in dogs and cats, including the metabolic disturbances and clinical signs
• Recognize the indications for central line placement in managing DKA, including the benefits of central venous access for fluid and medication administration
• Formulate comprehensive treatment strategies for DKA, integrating central lines and blood glucose monitoring devices to optimize patient care and outcomes

In this practical session, we will review the practical elements of central line placement and management. We will practice the placement of Freestyle Libre devices. We will also consider the placement of nasal oxygen catheters.

• Master the placement of central lines
• Practice placing Freestyle Libre devices
• Learn about the placement of nasal oxygen catheters

In this session, we will delve into the pivotal role of nutrition in the management of emergency patients. Adequate nutrition is essential for supporting the healing process, sustaining immune function, and averting complications in critically ill animals. The lecture underscores the significance of early nutritional intervention and explores the use of feeding tubes as a crucial method for ensuring sufficient nutrition in patients unable to eat voluntarily. We will cover various types of feeding tubes, including the placement techniques for nasal, oesophageal, and gastric tubes, as well as the placement of faecal catheters. Practical considerations for tube feeding in emergency settings will also be discussed.

Learning Outcomes

• Appreciate the critical role of nutrition in managing emergency patients
• Understand the importance of early nutritional support and the use of feeding tubes in patients unable to eat voluntarily
• Identify various feeding tubes and their placement techniques, including faecal catheters, for ensuring adequate nutrition in emergency settings

In this practical session, we will consider feeding tube placement in dogs and cats. We will practice the placement of nasogastric and oesophageal feeding tubes. We will practice the placement of faecal catheters.

• Learning Outcomes Learn about the different feeding tubes that are available
• Practice the placement of nasogastric and oesophageal feeding tubes
• Master the placement of faecal catheters

This practical session is designed to enhance veterinary nurses’ skills in suturing techniques, focusing on wound closure in small animal patients. The session will cover basic principles of wound healing, types of sutures, needle selection, and suture patterns. Participants will have the opportunity to practice suturing on skin/ gel pad models under the guidance of experienced instructors, improving their proficiency in surgical wound closure.

Learning Outcomes:

• Develop proficiency in selecting appropriate sutures and needles for wound closure
• Master various suturing techniques and patterns for effective wound closure
• Enhance skills in performing surgical wound closure through hands-on practice

Delegates will get the chance to ask questions and further consolidate their learning from across the day with the speaker.

This webinar will provide you with an overview of general surgical principles for nurses interested in basic surgical procedures including a step-by-step guide to placing different types of vascular accesses and to performing common surgical procedures such as tail and digit amputation, skin biopsies and mass removals.

Learning Outcomes

• Vascular access: how to place a central line and an arterial line
• Hot to correctly use the different surgical instruments
• How to perform common suture patterns
• How to perform basic surgical procedures

In this webinar, Laura will discuss tubes, drains and catheters. What is available, how and when do we use them, and how to maintain their use in our patients.

Learning Outcomes

• The indications for, placement techniques of and nursing care of different feeding tubes
• Considerations for placing, using and caring for central venous catheters
• How to care for and manage patients with chest drains
• How to place and care for urinary catheters in both male and female patients

In this two part webinar, Jon will review the processes of wound healing with a practical rather than academic emphasis, helping to then determine what that wound needs in order to facilitate healing. There will be a focus on acute traumatic wound management initially and then how dressings (including negative pressure wound therapy devices) can be used effectively, using worked case examples for illustration. Bite wounds will be reviewed as particularly challenging multifactorial problems and there will be consideration of unusual causes of wounds that should be recognised quickly to improve treatment success.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand wound healing processes for practical wound management decisions
• Learn acute traumatic wound management and effective dressing use through case examples
• Recognize challenges like bite wounds and unusual causes for improved treatment

In this two part webinar Jon will review the processes of wound healing with a practical rather than academic emphasis, helping to then determine what that wound needs in order to facilitate healing. There will be a focus on acute traumatic wound management initially and then how dressings (including negative pressure wound therapy devices) can be used effectively, using worked case examples for illustration. Bite wounds will be reviewed as particularly challenging multifactorial problems and there will be consideration of unusual causes of wounds that should be recognised quickly to improve treatment success.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand wound healing processes for practical wound management decisions
• Learn acute traumatic wound management and effective dressing use through case examples
• Recognize challenges like bite wounds and unusual causes for improved treatment

In this lesson, we discuss how we approach anorexia in our acute and chronically ill patients, why we need to assist our patients with feeding and when we should step in to provide additional support

Learning outcomes:

• Understand causes of anorexia and importance of nutrition
• Review the role of appetite stimulation and when is this appropriate
• Is there a need for prokinetic and gastroprotectant medication in our anorexic patients?