Emergency medicine is an area that many small animal veterinary technicians come into contact with on a daily basis, depending on the type of practice they are working in. This text is a comprehensive resource for all veterinary technicians regardless of their affiliated practice.
The presentation of information is organized in a very orderly manner. The text is divided into three sections: 1) Critically Ill Small Animals; 2) Emergency Care for Small Animals; and 3) Practice Management. Each section has chapters that were written by leaders in their field of expertise. Each chapter is organized with flowcharts, tables, pictures and even templates for consent forms and checklists. The "Technical Tips" areas are for specific procedures and are a definite must-have in preparing emergency protocols.
The Critically Ill Small Animals section includes chapters on monitoring, fluid therapy, transfusion medicine, pain assessment and anesthesia. The tables, pictures and even consent form examples help to make this text a quick reference to those in practice. There were several tables such as anesthetic drug doses, fluid rate calculations and restocking that could easily be posted in ICU and surgery areas of the clinic. The addition of color plates to check mucous membrane color and ocular diseases is a wonderful upgrade to the previous edition.
The Emergency Care for Small Animals section is a methodical presentation of different medical emergencies and diseases that are seen in emergency medicine. Each area (such as cardiac emergencies, gastrointestinal emergencies, toxicologic emergencies) provides information for assessment, treatment and supplies needed for those types of emergencies.
The section on Practice Management includes information on scheduling, how emergency staff deal with varied shifts and the challenges that go with emergency medicine, and legal standards such as informed consent and documentation.
This edition has been updated greatly from the first edition published in 2001. New chapters included in this edition are: Isolation Techniques in Clinical Practice, Avian and Exotic Emergencies, Disaster Medicine and Risk Management and the Veterinary Technician. Much of the Disaster Medicine information was written by a veterinary technician who was part of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack rescue effort. It addresses such concerns as understanding the types of disasters you may encounter and how to respond, legal issues, self protection, and care of search and rescue dogs. Many new tables and pictures were added in this edition that help to make this an outstanding reference.
This book is a reference that can be used by both veterinary staff and veterinarians. The Emergency Care for Small Animals section is a very thorough reference for treatment plans. Many of the tables, diagrams and pictures would be useful in training new staff that have knowledge about certain procedures, but need further references to sharpen their skills and knowledge. For the veterinary technician student, this text helps to explain and show the different procedures and challenges one may face in practice. Whether you work full time in emergency medicine or in a practice that sees occasional emergencies, this reference is one that you should have on the shelf.
Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. (2007).
Softcover, 432 pages, 150+ illustrations.
ISBN: 978-1-4160-2804-8.