Describe how to prioritize common emergencies.

Description should include

• defining the term triage
• identifying common veterinary emergencies (e.g., hit by a car [HBC], anaphylaxis, straining to urinate, bleeding, diarrhea, shock, burn, poisoning, insect sting, choking)
• identifying vital signs and evaluating airway, breathing, and circulation
• assessing the overall patient (and not focusing exclusively on the most obvious injury or sign)
• explaining ways to assess a patient’s condition based on signs as well as factors such as age, weight, sex, and reproductive status (signalment)
• prioritizing common emergencies and deciding the treatment required. 

Process/Skill Questions:

• What should be the first thing the veterinary assistant does when assessing an animal's condition?
• How could a veterinary assistant differentiate between arterial and venous bleeding?
• Why could an injury in a very young animal be a higher priority than the same injury in an adult animal?
• What are the ABCs of initial care? What could happen if the veterinary assistant stopped to perform first aid on a fractured limb before checking the ABCs on the patient?
• Why should clients be advised to call anytime their animal is doing something out of the ordinary, even if an obvious emergency does not exist?
• Why should any dog hit by a car be taken to a veterinarian even if it appears to be unhurt after the accident?
• What signs would indicate that an animal is experiencing breathing difficulty?