February 2025 
by Tiffany Gendron, CVT, VTS (ECC), VETgirl CE Specialist

In this VETgirl online veterinary continuing education blog, Tiffany Gendron, CVT, VTS (ECC), VETgirl’s CE Specialist, gives us a clear 5 step process to help prepare yourself for handling veterinary emergencies. Emergencies can happen at any time, in any hospital. Preparation is key to successful outcomes and feeling prepared, and eventually feeling comfortable handling veterinary emergencies!

When Push Comes to Shove are you Ready?

The stat triage comes in, your blood is pumping, and you are about to help save a life; what a rewarding job! It is often said that those who work in emergency medicine are adrenaline junkies and thrive under pressure. But what if you are new to emergency medicine, you’re filling in a shift, or an emergency comes through your doors at your primary care center? The truth of the matter is an emergency can present itself at any time in ANY hospital. So even if you avoid the ER department like the plague, chances are you will be faced with an emergency at some point in your career.

Here are 5 steps to help prepare you for an emergency:

Step 1: Essential Supplies Are a Must

Veterinary technician must-haves (NOT a recommendation but a MUST!) Be prepared; have what you need to get the job done!

Step 2: Work Space Familiarization

Familiarize yourself with your work area. Most emergency departments have a “ready area” or a “resuscitation area”. Some hospitals have crash boxes in areas that are not necessarily set up to receive an emergent case but rather to deal with an emergency should one present itself. Supplies commonly found in the “ready area” of an ER include:

Step 3: Triage Essential Skills

Now let’s consider some of the essential skills that are needed to confidently handle emergencies. As veterinary professionals, we have vowed to embark on a lifelong journey of learning.

Pro-tip: Do your homework before AND after your shift! You should be familiar with what triage is and how to properly perform a triage, as well as common drugs used in an emergent situation. This is not intuitive, so do your homework! At the end of your shift, make a list of what you didn’t know and make it a point to learn it.

The VETgirl library has videos, blogs and webinars to provide some great resources to help you tackle triage like a pro! Triage Essential Skills:

Triage is an essential skill for all veterinary technicians, from general practice to urgent care and, of course, emergency and referral hospitals. This vital skill is an essential area to fine-tune. Need a reminder of those emergencies that require immediate assistance? Check out this resource, which is a great pocket guide and is essential to know: VETgirl-Stat-Triage-PDF.pdf.

Click on this image to open a PDF with clickable links to VETgirl resources

Step 4: Have a Pocket Guide

Make yourself a pocket guide and include things of importance to you that you might not know off the top of your head. This can include IV fluid types and composition, fluid rates, normal blood values, or drug dosages. Make it yours and modify it over time. This is a great way to track your professional progress and see how much you’ve learned! Below are common drugs used in an emergency. Please know this is not an extensive list, nor does it include analgesics, which are an important part of the treatment plan in many instances.

*Dextrose MUST be diluted prior to administration, typically a 1:2 -1:4 dilution. **Mannitol administration requires the use of 5-micron filter.

Step 5: Effective Communication and Accurate Documentation

Communication and documentation are essential and are the backbone of all medical care. Our ability to take in and effectively communicate orders is necessary. Clear and concise orders with verbal verification prior to initiating treatment are a must. This is especially true when CPR (a code) is being run and a scribe may not be available. Receive the order, repeat the order, and follow the order of a veterinarian. Often in emergency, pleasantries are left at the door. When seconds count there is no time for, please and thank you, but there is always time to double-check!

The next time that you are presented with an emergency I hope you can now feel a bit more confident. ECC rocks!

Reference:

  1. Burkitt‐Creedon JM, Boller M, Fletcher DJ, et al. 2024 RECOVER Guidelines: Updated treatment recommendations for CPR in dogs and cats. Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. 2024;34:104-23.
  2. Plumb DC. Dextrose. In: Plumb DC, ed. Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook. 10th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2023: 376-3780.
  3. Plumb DC. Diazepam. In: Plumb DC, ed. Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook. 10th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2023: 378-382.
  4. Plumb DC. Diphenhydramine. In: Plumb DC, ed. Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook. 10th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2023: 409-411.
  5. Plumb DC. Flumazenil. In: Plumb DC, ed. Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook. 10th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2023: 537-538.
  6. Plumb DC. Lidocaine. In: Plumb DC, ed. Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook. 10th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2023: 756-760.
  7. Plumb DC. Mannitol. In: Plumb DC, ed. Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook. 10th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2023: 793-795.

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