🫁 AIRWAY COLLAPSE 🫁
Why is this important in cardiac patients?
Coughing and respiratory signs are often seen in patients with cardiac disease. They are also features of respiratory disease such as airway collapse due to tracheomalacia, bronchomalacia or tracheobronchomalacia.
Patients with respiratory signs and concurrent cardiac disease can sometimes be mis-diagnosed with worsening cardiac signs when the cause is in the airways themselves - this requires very different treatment.
Respiratory investigations such as bronchoscopy are really useful diagnostic tools to assess the airways.
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardio #cardiologyvet #veterinarycpd #vetcpd #onlinecpd #learning #veterinary #veterinarynurse #vetnurse #vet #rvn #bronchoscopy #airwaycollapse #tracheomalacia #bronchomalacia #respiratorymedicine #cardiorespiratory
🔌 ACDO 🔌
Also known as an Amplatz Canine Duct Occluder, we use this metal device to close a patent ductus arteriosus, or PDA.
When closed at the right time, this can be a life-saving procedure ❤️
(Sound on for description)
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardio #vetcardiologist #interventionalcardiology #pda #acdo #congenitalcardiology #veterinarynurse #vetnurse
#veterinary #vet
🐈 RAPID CAT 🐈
When faced with an acutely dyspnoeic cat in practice, it can be a real challenge to know which avenue to direct your investigations and immediate treatment.
The Journal of Small Animal Practice published the 'RAPID CAT' paper (authored by our very own Dave Dickson!) which discusses the ways to swiftly identify if the dyspnoea is cardiac in origin.
PRESS AND HOLD to pause, or SAVE to refer back to when you need it!
Want to know more about Dyspnoea? Our 2024 Surfari CPD covers medical, cardiac and clinical pathological aspects of coughing and dyspnoea - see the CPD Events page in the Vet Area on our website for more info!
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardio #vetcardiology #dyspnoea #tachypnoea #dyspnoeiccat #rapidcat #cpd #veterinarycpd #vetcpd #60secondcpd #respiratorymedicine #vetmedicine #veterinarymedicine #vetclinpath
🥵 HOT WEATHER 🥵
Cardiac patients can find hot weather a lot more difficult than usual - they may need closer monitoring and extra help to keep cool.
Here are just a few suggestions, and make sure you are counting those Sleeping Respiratory Rates! Some patients with congestive heart failure can destabilise, and those with advanced disease can tip into congestive heart failure more easily. See our post on counting Sleeping Respiratory Rate (SRR) for more info.
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardio #vetcardiology #hotweather #heat #heatmanagement #cardiacpatient #congestiveheartfailure #chf #cooldown
🧳 HEART VETS ON TOUR 🧳
...Again! This time it was Jo's turn to take Heart Vets overseas, as she headed off to the Norwegian Vet Cardiovascular Association conference to give 3 days of lectures on arrhythmias, ECGs and Holters.
Everyone was incredibly friendly, and the view from the conference at the top of the hill in Ålesund was just breathtaking 🤩
Thank you to everyone who attended Jo's lectures!
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardio #cardiologyvet #veterinary #vet #ecg #ekg #arrhythmia #Holter #vetcpd #veterinarycpd #travellingvet #norway
🧳 HEART VETS ON TOUR 🧳
Cardiologist Dave Dickson put Wales on the map (literally, slide 3) when he attended the Medicine Institute, Colorado State University (CSU) at Fort Collins in Colorado. Here, he learned from cardiology great Brian Scansen about new techniques in interventional cardiology surgery, which we will be adding to our Heart Vets repertoire back here in the UK!
Dave also managed to squeeze in a spot of sight-seeing and whiskey sampling before jetting back to Wales for some echo teaching.
We can't wait to learn more!
@coloradostateuniversity
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardio #cardiologyvet #veterinary #vet #interventionalcardiology #vetcpd #veterinarycpd #cardiologysurgery #travellingvet #coloradostateuniversity
🫧 BUBBLE STUDIES 🫧
Ready to see something cool?
Also known as 'contrast echocardiography', a bubble study is used to look for defects, and assess blood direction where there may be a shunt.
The first video shows a normal heart. The second is an example of a septal defect between the atria (an atrial septal defect) and we can see bubbles moving from the right side directly into the left.
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardiology #vetcardio #veterinary #vet #veterinarynurse #rvn #echo #echocardiography #contrastangiography #bubblestudy #septaldefect #asd #vsd #pda #congenitalheartdefect
↕️ MEASURING M:MODE ↕️
Assessing features of the left ventricle can be done using M-mode. This should be a guide to help your decision making alongside other echo measurements.
PRESS AND HOLD to pause, or SAVE to refer back to when you are next at your echo table!
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardio #veterinarycardio #echocardioraphy #echotips #mmode #leftventricle
🐱 GET A BETTER CAT ECG 🐱
Patient on the move, more baseline artefact than visible ECG and teeny, tiny complexes?
Cats can be a real challenge, but hopefully some of these tips can help you to get a better reading...and closer to a diagnosis!
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardio #vetcardiology #veterinary #vet #veterinarynursing #vetnurse #rvn #ecg #ekg #catecg #catcardiology #felinecardiology #catfriendly
🧳 HEART VETS ON TOUR 🧳
Cardiologist Jo and Cardiology Nurse Helen were representing Heart Vets at the Cornwall Veterinary Association CPD day at the weekend.
Both had some great audiences for their talks to the vets and vet nurses, and really enjoyed catching up with delegates and colleagues on the Heart Vets stand.
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardio #cardiologyvet #veterinary #vet #veterinarynursing #vetnurse #rvn veterinarycpd #vetcpd #vetnursingcpd #felinecardiology #cardiologynursing
🎈 BALLOON VALVULOPLASTY 🎈
Inflating a balloon inside the heart?!
This is a keyhole procedure which we perform to open up fused valve leaflets in pulmonic stenosis.
This reduces the pressure across the valve (and the amount of work that the right heart has to do) thereby improving survival times and quality of life.
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardio #veterinary #balloonvalvuloplasty #bvp #interventionalcardiology #pulmonicstenosis #ps
🔊 GRADING MURMURS 🔊
There are two recognised grading systems for murmurs, to tell us how loud they are on cardiac auscultation:
🔹 Soft / Moderate / Loud
🔹 Grades I - VI
Murmurs can vary depending on the ears listening, the stethoscope used, and patient factors too!
They are a very useful guide to indicate that there may be a change within the heart, but they do not necessarily correlate to how bad (or good!) things can be. This is where echocardiography comes in 👍
Find the information here in 60 seconds☝️
(PRESS AND HOLD TO PAUSE)
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #60secondcpd #heartbeat #murmur #heartmurmur #mumurgrade #stethoscope cardiacauscultation #thrill #veterinary #vet #vetnurse #veterinarynurse #vetcpd #vetnursecpd
🛟 CASE ADVICE 🛟
Can we help you manage a case in-house?
Whether you are unsure of the next steps, how to prioritise diagnostics tests or needing a treatment plan, we are here for advice!
We are happy to look at images, ECGs, radiographs or case history alongside your questions, or simply to go through what your thoughts are and help you make a plan - without the patient leaving your practice!
Head to the website https://heartvets.co.uk for more information.
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #caseadvice #telemedicine #help #firstopinionpractice #veterinary #veterinarymedicine #vet #vetnurse #veterinarynurse #rvn #smallanimalpractice
🩸LEECHES🩸
No, we aren't stuck in the Middle Ages!
This is Lola, who has a reversed patent ductus arteriosus (PDA).
Because the blood in her heart is shunting from right to left, there is deoxygenated blood in her systemic circulation, leading to clinical signs of differential cyanosis.
The body then makes more red blood cells to try and carry more oxygen, but this 'thickens' the blood (polycythemia) and can cause organ problems. This is measured by testing PCV (packed cell volume) of the blood.
We unLEECH the healing power of these little suckers to draw blood and reduce the PCV - a very big role for such small creatures!
They create minimal trauma and no bruising, while patients get to lie down and have a cuddle with the Heart Vets team.
A big well done to the lovely Lola and her new leech friends - this was a very SUCKsessful treatment! 🙊
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardio #veterinary #pda #patentductusarteriosus #reversepda #congenitalcardiology #pcv #leeches #phlebotomy
📏 MEASURING LA:Ao 📏
The left atrium (LA) to aortic (Ao) ratio s arguably the most important measurement in echocardiography, so it is an important one to get right!
Follow this guide and listen to the helpful tips, and you will be measuring true in no time!
Remember:
- Trust your gut: if the measurements don't match your subjective view when eyeballing, think about measuring again.
- Never guess! If you can't see the edges you want to measure, DON'T MEASURE!
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardio #echocardiography #echotips #measuringecho #leftatrium #LAAo
📨 HOLTER RENTAL 📨
Heard an arrhythmia?
Screening for DCM?
Collapsing patient?
History of exercise intolerance?
An ambulatory ECG (Holter) is an essential tool to your diagnostic kit, and these can be rented to fit by you at your own practice. We have options for 24-hour, 48-hour or 7 day recordings.
The Holter will arrive to you ready to go, with simple instructions and everything you will need to fit your patient with some top tech.
What then? Once we receive it back, our brilliant analysts will do the technical number crunching, and we will provide you with a report and advice. What a service!
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #vetcardio #arrhythmia #collapse #dilatedcardiomyopathy #dcm #holter #ecg #ekg #ambulatoryecg #holteranalyst
🧐 Ever wondered what a pacemaker looks like? 🧐
We use pacemakers to treat conditions such as sick sinus syndrome (SSS) and third degree AV block (complete heart block).
We fit pacemakers under general anaesthesia (following temporary pacing under light sedation).
Brand new pacemakers have a battery life of around 10 years before they need replacing, but we are also able to offer 'preloved' pacemakers for those in need.
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #interventionalcardiology #pacemaker #dogpacmaker #sicksinussyndrome #3DAVB #completeheartblock
⏱️ CARDIAC AUSCULTATION ⏱️
Just listening to the heart can tell you a surprising amount of information!
Being able to describe what you are hearing can really help flag up the abnormalities, narrow down diagnoses, and direct further investigations.
What should you be observing when listening to the heart?
Find the information here in 60 seconds☝️
(PRESS AND HOLD TO PAUSE)
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #60secondcpd #heartbeat #heartmurmur #gallopsound #sinusarrhythmia #arrhythmia #arrhythmia #veterinary #vet #vetnurse #veterinarynurse #vetcpd #vetnursecpd
💊 CARDIAC DRUG FORMULARY 💊
Busy day in practice and need information for cardiac drugs at your fingertips? We've got you covered.
Our formulary covers all the most common things you may need to manage your cardiac cases in house, alongside important indications, contraindications and possible side-effects.
Still not sure? One of our team will be happy to help.
#heartvets #veterinarycardiology #cardiacmedication #heartdrugs #formulary #veterinary #veterinarymedicine #vet #vetnurse #veterinarynurse #rvn #smallanimalpractice
