Triage patients: Primary and secondary survey

When a triage patient enters a veterinary clinic, it is important to know which steps to take and in what order to best meet the pet's individual needs. In an interview with dvm360^® at the Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference (ACVC), Melissa Evans, LVT, VTS (EEC), delved into the 2 types of surveys used when triaging a patient: primary and secondary, plus explained the focus of each.

View the video below for the entire discussion. The following is a partial transcript:

Melissa Evans, LVT, CVT, VTS (EEC): The secondary survey is everything that comes after the [primary survey]. So, we've [already] looked at the patient, we assume what is kind of going on, or have an idea of where we need to go next. It's the next step. So, it's x-rays, blood tests—anything like that.