NAVLE Emergency Guide
Sepsis and SIRS in Veterinary Patients: Hour-One Priorities
Sepsis questions reward structured timing: early recognition, perfusion support, and source control planning. This page gives a practical sequence for first-hour decisions and common exam pitfalls.
Use this guide to move from first-pass pattern recognition to structured diagnostic and treatment logic. The flow is designed for NAVLE-style decision sequencing and practical ward preparation.
Rapid Algorithm
- Screen for infection risk with systemic instability rather than waiting for complete confirmation.
- Stabilize perfusion and oxygen delivery while collecting critical baseline diagnostics.
- Start broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy when sepsis probability is high.
- Initiate source-control planning early and reassess feasibility continuously.
- Track response using serial perfusion markers and organ function trends.
Diagnostic Flow
- CBC, chemistry, lactate, and coagulation trends help define severity and progression.
- Blood culture timing should support, not delay, urgently indicated treatment decisions.
- Imaging and focused ultrasound can identify drainable or surgically relevant sources.
- Urine output and mentation trajectory offer practical bedside response markers.
- Repeat data at clinically relevant intervals to detect response failure early.
Treatment Flow
- Use perfusion-guided fluids with careful reassessment to avoid fluid overload drift.
- Start empiric antimicrobials based on likely source and local stewardship context.
- Escalate to vasopressor support when perfusion remains inadequate after fluid optimization.
- Pursue source control through drainage, debridement, or procedural intervention when needed.
- Support organ systems proactively, including glucose, electrolyte, and thermal management.
Exam Traps
- Waiting for definitive culture results before treatment in unstable patients is a classic error.
- Assuming normal early blood pressure excludes sepsis progression can delay escalation.
- Treating lactate as a stand-alone endpoint without clinical context causes management errors.
- Deferring source control planning until after prolonged medical therapy lowers momentum.
- Ignoring urine output trends can hide evolving organ dysfunction.
Practice Prompts
- What triggers immediate sepsis treatment even before full diagnostics return?
- How do fluid and vasopressor decisions change when perfusion remains poor?
- Which source-control options matter most in abdominal sepsis scenarios?
- What data should be trended in the first 6 hours?
- How can stewardship principles coexist with urgent empiric treatment?
Related Content
- Return to pillar: NAVLE Emergency and Critical Care: Triage, Stabilize, Treat
- DKA Approach in Dogs and Cats: Stabilization Before Insulin
- Heatstroke in Dogs and Cats: Controlled Cooling and Critical Monitoring
- Use the Sepsis Bundle Planner
- Try 5 free practice questions on this topic
- Unlock unlimited practice (Premium)
Sources and Review Notes
- Drug label search (DailyMed)
- IRIS stages
- Normal lab values
- Heartworm treatment protocol
- Lab test protocols
- Microchip lookup
- Vertebral Heart Score
- BCS charts
- ACVIM cardiology consensus guideline references
- Dental charts
- AAHA vaccination guidelines
- Flea/tick product info
- Dog/cat breed search
- RECOVER CPR guidelines
Last reviewed: February 13, 2026
Educational only. This page is designed for study and does not replace case-specific diagnosis, local protocols, or direct supervision.