The Broken Heart. How To Fix It When Tinder Won’t (Managing Heart Failure in the ER)

Cardiac emergencies are very common. Cardiologists are hard to find, and not always available.

This presentation will discuss how to handle cardiac emergencies in an emergency room or even a general practitioner setting. From clinical diagnosis, to diagnostic tests (ultrasound, radiographs…), to how to treat them and get them out of the crisis.

Emphasis will be placed on practical tips and solutions available to most (if not all) veterinarians, coming from many mistakes and pitfalls learned through years in the trenches.

Specific conditions will be addressed such as congestive heart failure, pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade and a brief touch of arrhythmias.

How to keep them alive until they can, eventually, see a cardiologist… or go home.

• How to identify cardiac disease in the ER.
• How do confirm a diagnosis using ultrasound and/or radiographs
• How to stabilize patients in congestive heart failure
• How to address pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade