The first week of the emergency medicine course will cover initial telephone contact with the client – including some important “dos and don’ts” of telephone advice, and how to get the most from your conversation in the shortest time! We will also cover giving advice of first aid at the scene of an emergency, and how to best prepare your clinic for the arrival of an emergency patient! Additionally, we will cover the principles and practice of triage, along with how to conduct the patients’ first clinical examination on arrival at the vet clinic (the Primary Survey). We will also cover the essentials of history extraction from the owner, and those essential patient samples required to assist you and your veterinarian manage the case effectively!

During the 2nd week of the course, you will cover management of the patient with breathing difficulty. You will learn a methodical and proven method to evaluate and treat patients with breathing difficulties – from airway obstruction, diaphragmatic hernia, and pneumonia to pneumothorax, and a lot in-between. You will also learn about oxygen therapy, how to provide short-term ventilation therapy, and how to monitor the effectiveness of a patient’s breathing. We’ll even take a look at blood gas analysis too!

Shock is a serious complication of many emergency illnesses, that can result in significant illness, and even death if it is not diagnosed and treated appropriately.

In week 3, you’ll learn how to diagnose different types of shock, the principles behind recommended treatment, and how to monitor your patient for effective treatment. You’ll also learn transfusion medicine as it relates to the emergency patient, acute traumatic coagulopathy, and much more!

What if your patient looks worse after your treatment? Or what if they initially look OK – but then clinically deteriorate? This topic will examine what to monitor, how to monitor, and when to raise the alarm when the patient is not improving. You’ll also learn why our patients sometimes deteriorate or ‘crash’ – and what YOU can do to help prevent this from happening!

This week, we’ll discuss the best way to monitor and manage your emergency patients following acute resuscitation. We will not only discuss monitoring techniques, but will give you an introduction to nursing the critically ill or injured patient! What’s more, we’ll also look at specific emergencies, such as GDV, head trauma, pancreatitis and more!