ICU for the veterinary clinic

The intensive care unit (ICU), or critical care unit, is where some of our sickest patients end up spending much of their time.

With that in mind, it is important to ensure that your practice is equipped with appropriate equipment to help provide the best care for patients.

Whether you're starting from scratch or revamping an existing ICU, it's important to take advantage of everything on your shopping list. We have put together some 'must-haves' for bringing your ICU into the 21st century.

ICU cages

Cutting-edge care should also consider patient comfort, where ICU cages come in.

ICU cages provide a safe and sterile environment. These units can be carefully controlled to provide the right temperature and oxygen concentration for a whole array of patients and conditions, including:

• Newborns

• Animals with infectious diseases 

• Postoperative patients 

• Critical care cases

• Cardiopulmonary diseases 

• Elderly patient care 

A good unit also features easily adjustable lighting for patient monitoring and therapy.

Thanks to features like soft-close, clear plastic doors, these cages should allow patients to be safely monitored while reducing disruption. Built-in IV support, nebulization facilities, and silent air systems all help elevate the care of these patients further. 

Syringe pumps (syringe infusion drivers)

In addition to drip pumps (used for careful intravenous fluid administration), syringe pumps should also be featured in your ICU.

These can help ensure that constant-rate infusion medications are safely delivered, and they can also be used for intermittent dosing regimens. This all helps ensure accurate medication delivery.

A Crash Cart

A well-organized crash cart is essential for any ICU.

It should contain emergency medications such as epinephrine, naloxone, atropine, and dexamethasone, as well as key pieces of equipment such as a defibrillator and multiparameter unit (or individual monitors like a pulse oximeter and electrocardiograph).

At a minimum, it should also be stocked with intravenous catheters, giving sets, intravenous fluids, and tape. Your crash cart must be checked daily to ascertain whether anything needs replenishing. 

Defibrillator

While rigorous staff training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is essential for any well-run ICU, a defibrillator could help significantly in critical cases.

Defibrillators work by delivering an electric shock to the heart to “break” the arrhythmogenic cycle in cases of VF (ventricular fibrillation) or VTac (ventricular tachycardia).

Defibrillators have been shown to increase the probability of ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation) in crashed patients.

They could make all the difference when managing the resuscitation of a patient with a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia.

Multiparameter units 

Multiparameter units can provide a wide range of information about your patient.

These units can observe vital signs like blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and electrocardiograms (ECGs). This information is essential for animals under anesthesia, during the postoperative period who are critically ill. 

Ultrasound machine

Ultrasound machines can provide a lot of information about the emergency patient. A point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can be done at the patient's cage or as part of their initial emergency triage.

AFAST and TFAST (abdominal and thoracic-focused assessment with sonography for trauma, triage, and tracking) will benefit various cases.

This includes animals that present collapsed, with respiratory distress or with abdominal pain, or those that have experienced trauma.

Due to the valuable information that can be gleaned from these examinations, an ultrasound machine should be considered an essential kit in your ICU.

Mechanical Ventilators

Mechanical ventilation may be needed in highly sick cases.

These machines are vital to helping severely hypoxemic patients (PaO2 <60mmHg) despite receiving oxygen therapy, hypercapnic (PaCO2 >60mmHg), or at risk of impending respiratory failure.

Various machines exist, from essential ‘anesthesia’ ventilators to complicated human care unit ventilators. Your ICU would benefit from one of these machines to care for animals in extreme respiratory distress, which could include cases such as –

• Aspiration pneumonia

• Severe heartworm cases

• Congestive heart failure

• Intoxications

• Trauma cases

• Intracranial disease

• Suction machine

A suction machine is well worth having on standby in your ICU to help clear airways in cases of respiratory distress and to manage patients with temporary tracheostomy tubes. It also helps to improve the field of vision during a severe hemorrhage.

Glucometers 

Don’t overlook the basic glucometer!

Not only are these essential for helping to monitor your diabetics, but they provide crucial information for many of your other patients, too. Glucose monitoring in neonates is essential, as well as helping you to manage your toxicity patients (e.g. xylitol poisoning), animals with suspected insulinomas and those with malnutrition. 

Good lighting

Good lighting is essential when examining and stabilizing critically ill patients.

LED exam lights provide longevity, low heat emission, and high performance. The right light will be easy to clean and adjustable and should be designed to reduce shadows on the examination area.

Whether you go ceiling-mounted, wall-mounted, or floor-standing, the right light will make all the difference for your ICU.

Final thoughts

Hopefully, our helpful guide has helped you focus on your veterinary hospital's needs.

If you require help with some of the items on your shopping list, don’t hesitate to contact us!

We can provide an array of equipment, including intensive care unit cages, veterinary monitoring equipment, LED lighting, ultrasound machines, and more.