Veterinary Practice & Nursing Care Flashcards

When monitoring a patient under general anesthesia, which parameter is MOST critical to assess continuously?

Answer: Respiratory rate and depth

Respiratory rate and depth must be monitored continuously under anesthesia because respiratory depression is a primary risk of anesthetic agents.

A dog is recovering from surgery and its gum color appears pale pink to white. This finding MOST likely indicates:

Answer: Poor peripheral perfusion or anemia

Pale or white mucous membranes suggest poor perfusion, significant blood loss, or anemia requiring immediate veterinary attention.

Which of the following is the correct technique for placing a jugular catheter in a cat?

Answer: Clip, scrub with chlorhexidine, insert bevel-up

Catheter placement requires clipping hair, aseptic scrub with chlorhexidine, and inserting the needle bevel-up to enter the vein cleanly.

The term 'tachypnea' in a veterinary patient refers to:

Answer: Rapid breathing

Tachypnea means an abnormally elevated respiratory rate, which can indicate pain, fever, respiratory disease, or shock.

A feline patient has been prescribed transdermal medication. Where is this medication MOST commonly applied?

Answer: Inner pinna (ear flap)

Transdermal medications in cats are most commonly applied to the inner pinna because the skin there is thin and highly vascularized.

When collecting a urine sample by cystocentesis, the needle is inserted into the:

Answer: Urinary bladder directly

Cystocentesis involves inserting a needle through the abdominal wall directly into the urinary bladder to collect a sterile urine sample.

A patient's TPR is recorded as T=104°F, P=120, R=30. Which value is abnormal for a dog?

Answer: Temperature only

Normal canine temperature is 99.5–102.5°F; 104°F indicates hyperthermia, while a pulse of 120 and respiration of 30 fall within normal ranges.