Specialist Equine Medicine Nurse B&W Equine Hospital, CVS Veterinary LTD Berkely, England, United Kingdom
Presentation Description / Summary: Impactions of the stomach, large colon, small colon and rectum occur frequently in equine practice. This session will review the anatomy and physiology of these areas of the GI tract, cover aetiology and risk factors for development of impactions, describe the clinical signs and detail methods of diagnosis. It will then cover management of the different types of impaction, paying particular attention to fluid therapy options. The overall aim of the session is to highlight the role of technicians in managing impaction cases, in particular placement of fluid delivery devices appropriate for different impaction sites (enteral fluids, IV fluids, rectal fluids, targeted gastric lavage), selection of fluid type and adjunctive therapies (dissolution agents, osmotic laxatives, lubricants, prokintetics), techniques for targeted lavage and removal, and how to monitor progress. Case examples will be given to highlight different aspects of management and help to define the technician’s role.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the anatomy and physiology of the GI tract, how impactions occur in the stomach, large colon, small colon and rectum, and how to identify them
Understand management options, in particular fluid delivery devices and selection of fluid type for each impaction site
Appreciate the technician's role in management of these cases, for instance placement and maintenance of fluid delivery systems, gastroscopy and targeted gastric lavage, rectal lavage and manual evacuation
