Any swift whose condition does not allow a complete clinical examination procedure, but only a fractional examination for the time being, and who is classified as unstable to immediately life-threatening, is considered an emergency patient. Life-sustaining immediate measures are required before completing the examination procedure.
These include:
- Accident birds with shock and/or severe trauma,
- Swifts with profuse bleeding,
- Severely emaciated and/or dehydrated adult swifts,
- Severely emaciated and/or dehydrated nestlings,
- Swifts with severe dyspnea,
- Long-term and severely malnourished swifts with severe general disorders,
- Swifts with severe general disorders of unknown origin,
- Swifts with defects of the flight and/or body plumage that have immediate and possibly life-threatening effects on general condition.
First aid measures for emergency patients
Dyspnea:
- Check the throat, remove any mechanical breathing obstacles (e.g., blood, saliva, mucus, regurgitated food).
- For rattling, smacking respiratory sounds: Furosemide in a dosage of 1 to max. 2 mg/kg body weight p.o. or i.m.; if recurrence, administration can be repeated over the following two to three days. The risk of subsequent dehydration must be considered.
- In case of respiratory arrest, drop-wise peroral administration of dimethylbutyramide as a peripheral respiratory stimulant. Never apply drops directly into the throat (risk of aspiration pneumonia), but spread on the ventral throat mucosa.
- In case of respiratory arrest, resuscitation attempts with Doxapram drop-wise per os or in a dosage of 10 mg/kg body weight intramuscularly.
- In case of severe dyspnea (choking, squeaking respiratory sounds, suffocation attacks) without response to the mentioned respiratory stimulants, the bird should be euthanized without further delay.
Shock:
For volume substitution in shock, subcutaneous administration (knee fold) of 0.8 - 1 ml body-warm Ringer-Lactate solution per bird has proven effective. Shock patients also receive corticosteroids intramuscularly once (Prednisolone 5 mg/kg body weight).
Cachexia / Dehydration:
For volume substitution and circulatory stabilization, 0.8 - 1 ml Amynin / Ringer-Lactate in a ratio of 1:1 is administered subcutaneously at body temperature, if necessary two to three times at intervals of eight to twelve hours each. Commercially available, warm coffee, administered drop by drop about 15-20 minutes after the infusion, often proves to be a gentle and effective circulatory stimulant. In case of circulatory failure, etilefrine hydrochloride (0.2 - 1 mg/kg body weight i.m. or p.o.) and g-strophanthin (drop-wise p.o.) are indicated. For metabolic acidosis after long periods of starvation, a single subcutaneous dose of sodium bicarbonate 4.2% at a dosage of 15 ml/kg body weight is recommended.
Hypothermia:
External heat supply (30 - 35°C) via heating pad, red light, or an infrared dark heater is essential for the intensive care patient. Feeding or drinking attempts for emergency patients are not indicated until respiration and circulation have stabilized. Supply of fluids and nutrients can be provided parenterally via subcutaneously administered tonics over a period of 12 - 24 hours.
Convulsions and seizures:
Intramuscular administration of Diazepam at a dosage of 5 mg/kg body weight can be helpful. Furthermore, for skull trauma (cerebral concussion) and central nervous system disorders, a single dose of vitamin B complex is recommended (10 - 30 mg/kg body weight i.m. or s.c.; the content of Vit. B1 must not exceed 5 mg/kg body weight).
Bleeding:
Stopping bleeding is done depending on location by finger pressure, pressure bandage, local (ferric chloride or silver nitrate stick topically) and/or systemic hemostyptics (naphthionic acid 100 mg/kg body weight i.m.).
Open wounds / fractures:
Unless hopeless prognosis: wound toilet / osteosynthesis under general anesthesia. The same prerequisites and requirements for surgical wound/fracture care apply as in small animal medicine!!
If the patient is not fit for anesthesia, wound care cannot be performed immediately: sterile wound coverage / temporary fixation. Absolutely avoid drying out of tissue and bone. Administer analgesics!
Eye injuries:
Analgesics systemically and locally. Clarify as quickly as possible with an ophthalmological examination by a specialist whether the visual ability of the eye can be restored. Otherwise immediate euthanasia.
Plumage contamination:
In case of severe plumage contamination, an attempt can be made under general anesthesia to first achieve preliminary cleaning with body-warm water and commercially available detergents and to prevent possible peroral foreign substance intake by the bird, for example during cleaning attempts. The contaminating substance must be identified as early as possible to find a suitable detergent for cleaning. Caution: Many cleaning agents and solvents are highly toxic to the patient!