Episode 60: All things ER and critical cases

Emergency care expert Emily Dozeman, DVM, DACVECC, says that as a criticalist, it's important to recognize which patients are critically sick versus those that aren't. She adds that among the most common emergency room (ER) cases include cats with urinary issues and pets experiencing vomiting and diarrhea.

On this episode of The Vet Blast Podcast, Dozeman provides tips and tricks when working with polytrauma patients, plus offers guidance on how to assess these patients.

“It is making sure that your patient is stable," Dozeman tells Adam Christman, DVM, MBA. "You [have] to cover up those wounds, [deal] with them even though they could be the most grueling thing to look at. You need to make sure that your patient’s blood pressure is normal, their respiratory efforts—all of those things are going to be your priorities."

She then gets candid about her own experiences of dealing with polytrauma patients and her examination process.

"When I see these patients and I evaluate them, I start from the head then go to the tail in a very cursory exam while at the same time, my skilled technicians are starting on resuscitation. You know, for me it really those immediate kinds of actions that can be life or death in these patients,” she says.

Additionally, Dozeman discussed tips on handling patients with seizures, her favorite part of specialty care, and more. Listen to the full episode below!