IDEXX | April VetSpecialist Exchange Webinar: Electrolytes in Critical Care: Navigating Complex Imbalances

Subject: Electrolytes in Critical Care: Navigating Complex Imbalances
Speakers: Dr. Alessio Vigani
Organizer: Idexx
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Description:

Electrolyte disturbances are common in critically ill patients and are associated with worse clinical outcomes. Although electrolytes are routinely monitored in intensive care units (ICUs), their exact prevalence and prognostic impact in medical ICU populations remain incompletely defined. Critically ill patients are particularly susceptible to both depletion and excess of key electrolytes, which may arise from underlying disease processes and can contribute to clinical deterioration. Multiple electrolyte abnormalities often occur simultaneously and may share a common underlying cause. While some imbalances are transient or asymptomatic, recognizing and addressing them is essential because uncorrected disturbances are more frequently observed in non-survivors than survivors. Management should prioritize identifying and correcting the underlying cause while adjusting electrolyte intake, clearance, or distribution as needed. Because ICU patients have complex and dynamic conditions, electrolyte therapy must be individualized and carefully monitored to avoid harm.

Speaker:

Alessio Vigani is currently professor and medical director of emergency, critical care and extracorporeal therapy at The University of Zurich Small Animal Hospital. Alessio received his D.V.M. degree Summa Cum Laude from the University of Milan in 2006 and then obtained his PhD degree in clinical sciences. He completed a small animal rotating internship at the Ohio State University in Columbus in 2009. He subsequently pursued two consecutive residency programs in veterinary anesthesia and analgesia and emergency and critical care at the University of Florida. He is an ACVAA diplomate since 2012, ACVECC diplomate since 2014, and ECVECC diplomate since 2019. He previously worked as Clinical Assistant Professor in Emergency, Critical Care and Extracorporeal therapy at North Carolina State University from 2015 until 2019. His special interests include acute kidney injury, extracorporeal blood purification, regional anesthesia in critical care, and hemodynamics.

Disclaimer: This information is exclusively intended for registered veterinary and para-veterinary professionals.