title: Goal-directed therapy in small animal critical illness.
abstract: Monitoring critically ill patients can be a daunting task even for experienced clinicians. Goal-directed therapy is a technique involving intensive monitoring and aggressive management of hemodynamics in patients with high risk of morbidity and mortality. The aim of goal-directed therapy is to ensure adequate tissue oxygenation and survival. This article reviews commonly used diagnostics in critical care medicine and what the information gathered signifies and discusses clinical decision making on the basis of diagnostic test results. One example is early goal-directed therapy for severe sepsis and septic shock. The components and application of goals in early goal-directed therapy are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center, 318 Northern Boulevard, Clarks Summit, PA 18411, USA. abutler@vrecpa.com
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Butler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002415:Cats; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D018805:Sepsis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D013045:Species Specificity; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*