In the Literature
Noiva R, Degl’Innocenti S. Investigating sudden death in cats and dogs: a guide for veterinary practitioners. In Pract. 2024;46(5):239-243. doi:10.1002/inpr.448
The Research …
Cases of sudden or unexpected death require veterinary professionals to manage medical aspects of the cases, support distraught clients, and process their own emotions.1 Clinicians are the primary support for clients following a patient’s unexpected death and the last point of medical contact when discussing postmortem examination results.2
This article outlines a framework for navigating cases of sudden or unexpected death. Medical recommendations include awareness of possible causes of death (which may vary based on geographic location), proper body preservation prior to transport for postmortem examination, and provision of detailed information to aid pathology investigations, including patient history, physical examination findings, laboratory test results, body temperature on arrival, and diagnostic imaging.
Communication recommendations include preparation of a list of questions for clients, provision of adequate time and a quiet setting for clients to understand and assimilate information presented, a systematic approach when asking questions, and explanation of the limitations and time frame of postmortem examinations to help manage expectations.
… The Takeaways
Key pearls to put into practice:
Empathizing with the difficulty of the situation and loss is important. This might sound like I can only imagine how shocking this is for you.
Permission to move forward in sensitive conversations should be requested gently and respectfully. Clients should understand that the discussion may be challenging and be allowed to wait until they are ready to talk. This might sound like Can we talk about how we can try to determine the cause of Molly’s death? This will be difficult to discuss, and we can take breaks.
Open-ended inquiries should be used to gain a clear understanding of the events surrounding the patient’s death. This might sound like Can you walk me through the last 24 hours with Molly? Can you describe Molly’s lifestyle?
Information provided by the client should be summarized aloud to invite additional information and resolve miscommunication. This might sound like Let me summarize to make sure I have all the information. Is there anything I missed or anything you would like to add?
Seeking answers and explanations following a sudden death is common.3 Clients should be counseled on realistic expectations for the postmortem examination. This might sound like Postmortem examinations do not always provide a clear answer for cause of death, which can be disappointing and frustrating. Do you have any questions about the examination?
You are reading 2-Minute Takeaways, a research summary resource proudly presented by Clinician’s Brief. Clinician’s Brief does not conduct primary research.