Beyond the crash cart: Practical techniques for the ECC patient

This session focuses on the advanced supportive techniques used to manage ECC patients helping to optimise care throughout hospitalisation. Topics include the indications, placement, monitoring, and management of abdominal drains, tracheostomy tubes, and thoracostomy drains, as well as vascular cut-down procedures for patients in which conventional venous access is difficult or impossible to obtain in emergency situations.

The session will also cover oesophageal and nasogastric feeding tubes, highlighting their role in early nutritional support for critically ill, traumatised, and postoperative patients. Emphasis will be placed on practical management, complication recognition, and the critical role of the ECC team in maintaining these devices. Delegates will gain a deeper understanding of how these interventions contribute to ongoing stabilisation, patient comfort, and improved outcomes in veterinary emergency and critical care settings.