SOP Library — Veterinary Emergency SOP Library

Standardized emergency processes for veterinary emergency and intensive care medicine

The Veterinary Emergency SOP Library by PetsVetCheck is a structured collection of standardized operating procedures (SOPs) for veterinary emergency and intensive care medicine. It serves as the foundation for developing triage, escalation, communication, and treatment processes, as well as for the further development of digital assistance systems.

The SOP Library aims to standardize clinical workflows, improve patient safety, facilitate communication, and ensure consistent care for emergency patients.

The library is continuously expanded and is based on established principles of emergency medicine, intensive care, patient safety, and clinical process control.

Structure of the SOP Library

Module 1

Patient Admission and Triage

This module contains 8 SOPs that describe the processes from initial contact to the initial stabilization of an emergency patient and control the workflow in a standardized manner.

Contents

  • SOP 1: Emergency Admission and Triage
  • SOP 2: Telephone Initial Assessment and Emergency Triage
  • SOP 3: Structured Handover
  • SOP 4: Re-Triage
  • SOP 5: Emergency Communication
  • SOP 6: Admission of Unannounced Emergency Patients
  • SOP 7: ABCDE Initial Care in the Emergency Room
  • SOP 8: Emergency Alerting and Team Activation

Key Focus Areas

  • Prioritization according to medical urgency
  • Recognition of life-threatening conditions
  • Structured communication
  • Standardized handover processes
  • Patient safety
To Module 1

Module 2 Shock, Resuscitation, and Intensive Care Stabilization

This module covers the immediate care of critically ill and unstable patients.

Contents

Module 3 Cardiopulmonary Emergencies

This module covers acute diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Contents

  • Acute shortness of breath
  • Pleural effusion
  • Pneumothorax
  • Herzinsuffizienz
  • Arrhythmias
  • Pericardial effusion
  • Thromboembolic events

Module 4 Gastrointestinal Emergencies

This module covers common and life-threatening diseases of the digestive tract.

Contents

  • Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV)
  • Acute abdomen
  • Gastrointestinal obstructions
  • Acute pancreatitis
  • Severe gastrointestinal bleeding

Module 5 Neurological Emergencies

Contents

  • Convulsions
  • Status epilepticus
  • Vestibular syndromes
  • Acute paralysis
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Spinal cord injuries

Module 6 Urogenital and Reproductive Emergencies

Contents

  • Urethral obstruction in male cats
  • Acute renal failure
  • Dystocia (difficult birth)
  • Eclampsia
  • Pyometra
  • Urogenital traumas

Module 7 Poisonings and Environmental Emergencies

Contents

  • Common poisonings in dogs and cats
  • Decontamination measures
  • Toxicological initial assessment
  • Heatstroke
  • Hypothermia
  • Electrical accidents
  • Snake bites

Module 8 Trauma and Wound Management

Contents

  • Polytrauma
  • Traffic accidents
  • Thoracic trauma
  • Abdominal trauma
  • Wound management
  • Bleeding management
  • Fractures and luxations

Module 9 Ocular and ENT Emergencies

Contents

  • Bulbar prolapse
  • Corneal injuries
  • Acute blindness
  • Acute glaucoma
  • Severe ear diseases

Vestibular emergencies

Module 10 Organization, Communication, and Patient Safety

Contents

  • Team communication
  • Closed-loop communication
  • Crew Resource Management (CRM)
  • Error and risk management
  • Documentation
  • Quality indicators
  • Clinical handover processes

Why standardized processes are important

The care of veterinary emergency patients often takes place under high time pressure and based on incomplete information. Standardized processes support the prioritization of critical patients, reduce communication errors, and create reproducible workflows for teams of different sizes and experience levels.

The Veterinary Emergency SOP Library forms the basis for the clinical process logic of PetsVetCheck and supports the development of structured triage, escalation, and decision-making processes in veterinary emergencies.