Plus-Hex CLINICAL regardless of its anxiety levels . Therefore , it is imperative to ensure that patients are checked and bathed as required , with close monitoring of defaecation and faecal scoring , which should be noted on the hospital sheet .
The patient was discharged by the VS , who briefly discussed the patient ' s stress levels with the owner , when asked . No further action was taken , as the patient was not expected to return in the future .
Evaluation
Future improvements in similar cases would include ensuring that the hospital environment is as stress-free as possible . A blanket or jumper from a patient ' s home , with a familiar smell , could help the patient feel more relaxed ( Figure 1 ). However , this may not be possible as some hospitals ' procotols – the author ' s included – restrict such items being brought from home due to the risk of parasite / disease transmission . Other approaches could include playing calming music in the ward and covering the kennel door with a blanket [ 6 ] . The owners could also be asked to administer oral sedation , such as trazodone or gabapentin , before arrival at the hospital to allow adequate time for it to take effect [ 7 ] .
Allowing time for the patient to settle before placing an IV catheter could be beneficial in some circumstances , although other factors would need to be taken into consideration . If the patient had respiratory concerns or known seizures , for example , early IV placement may be needed to administer emergency drugs , so it would not be appropriate to leave such patients without an IV catheter in place .
It would also be helpful to minimise the amount of time a patient is in hospital . Initially , this patient was admitted for imaging , so earlier consideration could have been given to whether he could have gone home overnight and returned the following day for surgery .
In this case , the patient ' s stress levels were continuously monitored and the use of dexmedetomidine was effective . Discussion with the anaesthetist enabled the successful development and implementation of a plan for anaesthesia and intra- and postoperative analgesia . The patient was sent home as soon as safely possible , to prevent an unnecessarily extended hospital stay , which would have been particularly detrimental to the welfare of this patient .
Conclusions
This patient did not exhibit signs of stress during the initial consultation , nor was it identified as a potential problem by the owners . Once the patient was admitted and displayed distressed behaviour , the team devised a plan to provide a more calming environment and appropriate medical intervention .
Although the patient might have benefited from returning home overnight before surgery , it was not possible to do this . However , the intra- and postoperative sedation plan was effective and the patient returned to his owners as soon as possible after recovery .
Figure 1 . A blanket with the familiar scent of home could make a patient feel more relaxed .
Volume 39 ( 6 ) • December 2024
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