Alabama LVT flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

DEA Schedule II drugs

Substances with accepted medical use but high abuse potential; require a written prescription with no refills and secure storage with inventory records.

Drug half-life

Time required for plasma drug concentration to decrease by 50%; roughly four to five half-lives are needed to reach steady state.

Xylitol toxicity in dogs

Ingestion causes rapid insulin release leading to hypoglycemia, and at higher doses can cause acute hepatic necrosis; treatment is dextrose and supportive care.

Acepromazine caution

Phenothiazine tranquilizer that lowers the seizure threshold and causes splenic enlargement; avoided in epileptic patients and those at bleeding risk.

Anesthetic stage III

Surgical anesthesia characterized by regular respiration, loss of reflexes, and muscle relaxation; planes 1 through 4 reflect deepening anesthesia.

Capnography shark-fin

A sloping rather than square ETCO2 waveform indicating expiratory obstruction, such as from a kinked tube or bronchoconstriction.

Adult dog dental formula

2 × (I 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 2/3), totaling 42 permanent teeth; cats have 30 teeth with a reduced premolar and molar count.

Modified Triadan system

Tooth numbering where the right maxillary quadrant is 100s, left maxillary 200s, right mandibular 300s, and left mandibular 400s.

Feline resorptive lesions

Painful odontoclastic lesions of cat teeth that are common and require extraction or crown amputation; scaling alone does not treat them.

Packed cell volume

Percentage of blood volume occupied by red cells after centrifugation; normal is about 37–55% in dogs and 30–45% in cats.

Buffy coat

Layer between plasma and red cells in a centrifuged tube containing white blood cells and platelets; used to assess the buffy coat.

Isosthenuria

Urine specific gravity of roughly 1.008–1.012, indicating loss of renal concentrating ability and possible renal disease.

Vertebral heart score

Sum of cardiac long and short axis lengths measured in vertebrae on a lateral radiograph; normal is ≤10.5 in dogs and ≤9.3 in cats.

ALARA principle

As low as reasonably achievable; radiation safety approach using shielding, collimation, and distance to minimize occupational exposure.

Barium contraindication

Barium sulfate should not be used when gastrointestinal perforation is suspected because leakage into the abdomen causes severe peritonitis.

Resting energy requirement

RER = 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75 kcal/day; used as a baseline for calculating daily caloric needs in hospitalized patients.

Glasgow pain scale

Validated composite measure pain scale for dogs that scores behavior, posture, activity, and response to touch to guide analgesia.

Cephalic venipuncture

Common site on the cranial forelimb for blood collection and catheter placement; apply digital pressure after withdrawal to prevent hematoma.

CPR compression rate

Chest compressions at 100–120 per minute with ventilations about 10 per minute; capnography helps assess effectiveness of compressions.

GDV emergency

Gastric dilatation-volvulus requires fluid resuscitation, gastric decompression by tube or trocarization, and surgery; arrhythmias are common.

Anaphylaxis treatment

Epinephrine at 0.01 mg/kg IM or IV is first-line, followed by fluid support and antihistamines; corticosteroids are adjunctive.

Feline socialization window

Period from roughly 2 to 7 weeks of age when kittens form lasting social bonds; dogs have a critical period of 3–14 weeks.

Rabbit handling safety

Rabbits can fracture their spine from hindlimb kicking; support the hindquarters and avoid lifting by the ears or scruff alone.

Appeasement signals

Stress-reducing behaviors such as lip licking, yawning, and whale eye that indicate a dog is uncomfortable and may escalate.

Informed consent

Owner agreement to a procedure after explanation of risks, benefits, alternatives, and cost, documented with a signature before the procedure.

Controlled substance log

Record of drug name, quantity, date, patient, and prescriber for each controlled substance use; reconciled regularly to detect discrepancies.

SOAP format

Medical record structure using Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan sections to document each patient visit consistently.

VCPR requirement

Veterinary-client-patient relationship needed before prescribing or dispensing; requires recent examination and knowledge of the patient.

LTV scope of practice

Licensed veterinary technicians practice under veterinarian supervision; permitted duties are defined by state law and board regulations.

Cardiac cycle phases

Systole is ventricular contraction with semilunar valves open; diastole is ventricular filling with atrioventricular valves open.

Inflammation hallmarks

Redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function; these reflect vascular changes and cellular response to injury.

Glomerular filtration rate

Volume of filtrate formed by the kidneys per unit time; a key indicator of renal function that declines with chronic kidney disease.