LABORATORY ASSESSMENT OF CRITICALLY ILL ANIMALS EMERGENCY CRITICAL CARE

摘要

Critically ill animals are often presented to the veterinarian for emergency medical management. In the past, veterinarians were forced to rely solely on data gathered fi'om patient history and physical examination findings to make an initial assessment, give the owner an estimate and prognosis for their pet's illness, and begin treatment. Laboratory assessment was often not available until the following day. The advent of in-house laboratory equipment and point-of-care monitoring now allows the veterinarian to make a more accurate assessment of emergent and criticallv ill animals and make rational treatment decisions based on bloodwork.