Another tool in your box.
Jack Millman BBA, EMT-B, CJF, DWCF
As an Emergency Medical
Technician I use many mnemonics to remember patient
interview procedures. Mnemonics are aids to help in
Doctors use a specific set of
questions every time you visit their office in order to
get your history and an understanding of your current
condition. Medical Doctors, Nurses, Veterinarians and
EMS personnel use these memory tools.
An example of a mnemonic in the
medical arena is the memory tool SAMPLE which is
used to remember to ask for the following information:
Signs/Symptoms, Allergies, Medications
you are taking and the name of your Doctor, Pertinent
past history, Last intake of liquid or food,
Events leading up to your current condition.
As a Farrier I tend to look at
most things in terms of the horse. While I was studying
to become an EMT I would constantly reference my
knowledge of Equine anatomy to Human anatomy. Many of
the terms have corresponding relationships. In fact I
did this so often that when taking the Massachusetts
State Board exams for my EMT license I answered a
question as if it referred to the horse instead of the
In any case I have been thinking
about these diagnostic aids and I began developing one
that I can use when I am attempting to determine what I
am looking at when confronted with an unsoundness or
gait problem or simply looking at a new clients horse.
I called it SOUND.
Each of the letters gives us a tool to guide us. When
all of the tools are put together it gives us a picture.
Here is how it works:
S- Signs &
Signs are what we observe. Symptoms are
what the patient is telling us, in the case of the horse
showing us. The owner can also tell us the symptoms.
O- Onset & Provocation
When did this occur
and was there an observed cause that created the
U- Unusual Behavior/Situation
Get a description of the
lameness / problem by the owner, a demonstration by the
horse. Has the horse’s environment or work habits
N- Normal Behavior/Situation
How does the horse
normally perform? What is the horses normal environment
and work schedule?
D- Detailed pertinent past history
Any previous occurrence
similar to the current situation? When? What treatment
getting all of this information together you will have a
precise history of the horse and a word picture of it’s
current condition that will allow you to decide on a
treatment protocol and develop a plan for future
sure to look to your teammates, the Owner and the
Veterinarian in developing and implementing your plan
for the horse.