Triage Flashcards
(28 cards)
Triage assumes that we have limited ____.
Resources
Time, personnel, space and supplies
We must sort patient based on urgency so that the most critical patients are receiving those limited resources
T/F triage only occurs once when an animal presents to the hospital
False- we are constantly reevaluating patients and their triage status
How long should triage take?
60 seconds
Which 3 major body systems should you be assessing briefly in your triage exam and why these 3 only?
Circulatory, respiratory, CNS
Because these keep you alive
What 2 things should you be quickly assessing as a part of the neurological assessment of triage?
Mentation and are they actively seizing
____ mentation means responding to all stimuli but with less vigor than normal
Dull
_____ mentation means only responding to noxious stimuli.
Stuporous
____ mentation means not responding to any stimuli at all.
Comatose
_____ mentation means responding inappropriately to stimuli.
Demented
T/F you do not need your stethoscope for triage?
True
What 3 things are you assessing about the respiratory system during your traige?
1) are they breathing
2) what is their effort
3) what is the rate?
What is the only piece of actual equipment you need to assess the cardiovascular system during triage?
Thermometer which assess perfusion
What parameters can you assess quickly in your triage to evaluate perfusion in your patient?
Heart rate
MM color
CRT
Mentation
temperature
pulse quality
In dogs ____ heart rate is more concerning
Tachycardiac (>120)
Higher may be okay if they are excited, happy, agitated so take context into consideration
Cardiac output=
Stroke volume X Heart rate
BP=
CO X SVR
in cats ___ heart rate is more concerning.
bradycardic (<180)
Cats become bradycardic in shock.
Where does the color of the mucous membrane come from?
Hemoglobin
Pink gums= oxygemoglobin
Blue gums= deoxyhemoglobin
Brown gums= methemoglobin (damaged hemoglobin)
White gums= no hemoglobin
Yellow gums= bilirubin (a byproduct of hemoglobin breakdown)
T/F you should assume that a patient with pink gums have an appropriate pulse ox
False
What is a normal CRT?
1-2 seconds
What CRT indicates vasodilation?
CRT <1 second
What CRT indicates vasoconstriciton?
CRT >2 seconds
How can mentation give you information about perfusion?
Thr brain needs oxygen and sugar from the blood to operate appropriately. If a patient is not perfusing appropriately, the brain becomes deprived of these things and mentation is altered/
You should treat the perfusion first then reassess mentaiton
T/F the worse the mentation, the more urgently a patient should be seen and treated.
True