Life in the Fast Lane Part 1: Navigating Trauma Triage with Dr. Kristin Welch

Join us for Part 1 of this epic two-part series as we welcome Dr. Kristin Welch, DVM, DACVECC. Dr. Welch is the founder and Chief Criticalist at DVM-Stat, and previously helped grow the Southeast’s first VECCS Level I Emergency and Critical Care certified hospital as the Chief of Emergency and Critical Care when she moved to Charleston, SC following her residency at Tufts University. This is a must-listen series for any veterinarian, veterinary technician, or veterinary staff member who will encounter emergency patients or trauma. We discuss the importance of understanding common scenarios that require trauma triage, how to structure your team to better handle trauma cases, principles and organization of triage, imaging tips, rational fluid resuscitation and transfusion principles, and so much more.

Resources:

Episode 8: AFAST, TFAST and VetBLUE, and What's Right for You

Simpson et al. Severe blunt trauma in dogs: 235 cases (1997–2003). JVECC 2009

Davros et al. Comparison of clinical outcomes in cases of blunt, penetrating, and combination trauma in dogs: A VetCOT registry study. JVECC 2022

Gregory et al. Evaluation of outcome associated with feline trauma: A Veterinary Committee on Trauma registry study. JVECC 2023

Lyons et al. Clinicopathologic abnormalities associated with increased animal triage trauma score in cats with bite wound injuries: 43 cases (1998–2009). JVECC 2019

Poirier et al. Markers of tissue perfusion and their relation to mortality in dogs with blunt trauma. JVECC 2022

Ash et al. Performance evaluation and validation of the animal trauma triage score and modified Glasgow Coma Scale with suggested category adjustment in dogs: A VetCOT registry study. JVECC 2018.

Lisciandro et al. Evaluation of a thoracic focused assessment with sonography for trauma (TFAST) protocol to detect pneumothorax and concurrent thoracic injury in 145 traumatized dogs. JVECC 2008

Lisciandro et al.  Evaluation of an abdominal fluid scoring system determined using abdominal focused assessment with sonography for trauma in 101 dogs with motor vehicle trauma. JVECC 2009

Lisciandro et al. Abdominal and thoracic focused assessment with sonography for trauma, triage, and monitoring in small animals. JVECC 2011

Walters et al. Evaluation of the agreement between focused assessment with sonography for trauma (AFAST/TFAST) and computed tomography in dogs and cats with recent trauma. JVECC 2018

Dicker et al. Diagnosis of pulmonary contusions with point-of-care lung ultrasonography and thoracic radiography compared to thoracic computed tomography in dogs with motor vehicle trauma: 29 cases (2017-2018). JVECC 2020

Bonczynski et al. Comparison of Peritoneal Fluid and Peripheral Blood pH, Bicarbonate, Glucose, and Lactate Concentration as a Diagnostic Tool for Septic Peritonitis in Dogs and Cats. Vet Surgery 2004