Respiratory Medicine

Initial triage evaluation of the post-trauma patient should include a careful evaluation of respiratory function.

Oxygen delivery to the tissues must be prioritized in any critical patient.

Nasal problems are a frequent reason for seeking veterinary care.

Respiratory dysfunction commonly occurs as a sequela of critical illness in dogs and cats.

Puppies are often physiologically stressed by changes in ownership and new environments.

Feline asthma arises from a heterogeneous and poorly characterized group of conditions of the bronchi.

Before we can start begin to review abnormalities in the lungs lets first do a review of normal anatomy.

Dogs and cats with partial or complete upper airway obstruction can present with varying degrees of dyspnea.

Coughing is a common presentation in small animal practice, which can be caused by either heart or respiratory tract disease.

Antibiotic therapy is obviously one of the most important modes by which bacterial infections are treated, and the lungs are no exception.

In most patients with pneumonia, antibiotic therapy should be considered part of an overall management scheme, rather than the only treatment.

Every cell in the body needs a constant supply of oxygen to produce energy to grow, repair or replace itself and to maintain normal vital functions.

Endotracheal tubes are usually made from silicone, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic or red rubber.

Respiratory diseases in small mammals can be challenging. Although anatomy is similar, there are variations in anatomy that can predispose to certain diseases, or can interfere with interpretation of test results.

The use of inhaled respiratory medications in dogs and cats is becoming more common.

Atlanta - The number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States climbed to 20 as the outbreak continues to take on greater proportions in Mexico.

Bronchial obstruction can develop due to inflammatory infiltrates (eosinophils, neutrophils, or macrophages) or hypertrophy of bronchial tissues.

Feline upper respiratory infection is perhaps the most frustrating illness facing shelter veterinarians, managers and staff.

Air within the mediastinum may be the result of spontaneous rupture, trauma, or the result of diagnostic or therapeutic interventions.

Feline herpesvirus is a common pathogen of domestic cats.

Tracheobronchial disease represents a series of problems covering disorders of the upper and lower airways.

Diseases of the parenchymal lung tissue present a unique clinical problem. With impaired gas exchange and hyoxemia rapid diagnosis and treatment is essential.

In spite of the fundamental importance of auscultation to the physical exam, there has been surprisingly little effort made to teach and standardize how the examination is performed, how to interpret results, and how to communicate those results between professionals.

The principles of management of patients with severe lung disease and injury are summarized and the cases depicting the use if these management techniques are presented.

Respiratory distress cats can present a therapeutic dilemma. These small patients can be so severely compromised that diagnostics and treatment can stress them to the point of respiratory and cardiac arrest.

Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is the occlusion of the pulmonary vasculature by products of the coagulation cascade.

The most common causes of chronic nasal discharge include neoplasia, aspergillosis or cryptococcosis, nasal foreign body, rhinitis secondary to dental disease, and idiopathic or inflammatory rhinitis.

It is suspected that mammals generally adopt a respiratory pattern that meets their metabolic needs with the least metabolic energy cost.

Parasites are major causes of respiratory tract disease in the dog and cat. Recent advances in therapy of these diseases have been made providing the practicing veterinarian with a more rational treatment modality.

While trauma by its very nature is a polysystemic disease, pulmonary complications present one of the most common, and life-threatening aspects of trauma triage.