Hydration vs. Perfusion—Fluid Therapy for Veterinary Technicians
1.0 CE Credit Hour / Veterinarians & Veterinary Technicians Track: Fluid Therapy / Technician Internal Medicine
Overview:
Fluid therapy is one of the most important and one of the most commonly used therapeutic measures in veterinary medicine. Understanding fluid balance and how it is maintained in the body, indications for fluid therapy, dehydration and hypovolemia and the associated clinical signs, uses of different types of fluids and monitoring administration of fluids are all essential skills for the veterinary nurse. Specific case studies will be discussed. Fluid type and rate will be up to you!
Learning Objectives:
- Understand how the veterinary patient maintains fluid balance and what occurs when the patient experiences a fluid loss or redistribution of fluid.
- Evaluate physical parameters and diagnostic findings related to hydration and perfusion status, recognizing abnormal findings and analyzing the determination of dehydration, hypovolemia or both in the patient.
- Based on determination of hydration and perfusion status, evaluate phase of fluid therapy needed, fluid type needed, and the volume and rate needed to correct the patient’s abnormal parameters.
- Identify types of fluids commonly used; their indications, contraindications and specific monitoring requirements during administration of each type of fluid.
Gina Falish, BS, CVT
Gina Falish, BS, CVT holds a BS in Equine Science and Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University and has been a Certified Veterinary Technician since 1993. Gina has practiced in Chicagoland and Wisconsin for 33 years, starting in General Practice learning the basics and was bitten by the emergency bug when the area’s first overnight emergency hospital opened shortly thereafter. Since that first overnight shift, Gina has been a Nursing Supervisor at various large, multi-specialty and emergency hospitals, supervising and training 100’s of amazing Veterinary Assistants and Technicians. Early on, her interests and focus became Emergency and Critical Care Nursing and Hematology and Transfusion Medicine. Gina has started and maintained several large, community-based veterinary blood donor programs and blood banks. A passion for training led her to teaching as both an adjunct and part-time instructor for 2 Veterinary Technician programs in the Chicagoland area for over 20 years. She has lectured at several local and state veterinary continuing education seminars as well as countless practices, working with the medical staff, training and consulting. She joined Pathway Vet Alliance in November 2018, first as a Regional Nursing Excellence Coach and most recently as the National Director of Nursing and is able to enjoy the best of both worlds. traveling around the country visiting Pathway practices, training and empowering technicians and assistants and promoting the profession she has been a part of for 32 years.
This program has been approved for 1.0 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval.
