Emergency and Critical Care
What this domain tests
Emergency and critical care tests triage, CPR, shock, hemorrhage, toxins, urinary obstruction, GDV, transfusion, and oxygen therapy. The exam favors priorities: airway, breathing, circulation, then definitive care.
Core rules
- Triage ABCs; identify life threats before obtaining a full history.
- CPR: compressions 100-120/min, one-half to two-thirds chest depth, allow full recoil, minimize interruptions, ventilate about 10/min, and use capnography and defibrillation when indicated.
- Shock bolus: isotonic crystalloid 20 mL/kg in dogs, 10-15 mL/kg in cats, over 10-15 minutes, then reassess.
- GDV: decompress, treat shock, and prepare for surgery; do not delay.
- Urethral obstruction: relieve obstruction and monitor potassium.
- Transfusion: crossmatch when possible, monitor for reactions, and use a filter.
Worked example
A 20 kg dog presents pale with weak pulses. A 20 mL/kg bolus = 20 × 20 = 400 mL over 15 minutes. Reassess heart rate, pulse quality, CRT, and blood pressure. If still shocked, repeat a portion; do not blindly give a second full bolus without reassessment.
Traps that cost marks
Giving dextrose for shock; delaying decompression; overhydrating; using hypotonic fluids for resuscitation; not reassessing after a bolus; missing a toxin history.