Search Results for “surgery”

Dozens of veterinarians, organizations and companies have weighed in on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) proposal to add the anesthesia induction agent propofol to Schedule IV of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), and many of those are against the change. The DEA proposed adding propofol to schedule IV in an announcement in the Federal Register in October. In its proposal, the DEA cites research that suggests propofol has the potential to be abused, along the lines of other Schedule IV drugs like methohexital and midazolam. "In a survey of academic anesthesiology programs, 18 percent reported diversion or abuse of propofol," the DEA says. "Twenty-eight percent of the reported abusers of propofol had died due to propofol overdose. The individuals who died were affiliated with health care facilities in which there were no pharmacy or security mechanisms to control access to propofol." Hundreds of comments received Since the proposal was published, nearly 300 individuals, companies and organizations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have submitted comments to the agency voicing their opinions about the plan. (The comment period ended Dec. 27) The AVMA and many veterinarians expressed concern over the proposal, and urged the DEA not to schedule propofol.

Two recent court cases have brought a longstanding debate back into the spotlight: How much is a companion animal worth? Both cases involve plaintiffs who are seeking non-economic damages for the deaths of their pets. In both cases, the state laws say that pets are property. In one case, a woman sued her veterinarian for distress and loss of companionship. In another case yet to be decided, a man is suing another private citizen for damages resulting from the death of his dog.

Emergency and acute care are on the rise as clients try to save money by postponing care for ill pets, according to practice managers and owners who participated in a series of discussion groups on "Weathering the Recession" at the AAHA Yearly Conference last week. Veterinarians reported fewer visits but higher average transaction costs as a result of clients attempts to control spending on pet care. Practices’ individual economic situations varied, but many reported that people in their areas were fearful of losing their jobs and of spending money. Local layoffs from major employers had an impact on some practices. Not everyone was feeling a slowdown in business, but those who were described the various ways they are trying to get clients to stick with their practice.

New research could change the way post-operative analgesia is administered in dogs, enabling patients to go home sooner and spend less time in the hospital. A study led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine looked at the effectiveness of injecting dogs with extended-release opioids to provide long-term pain relief. The group of scientists, headed by UW veterinary anesthesiologist Lesley Smith, DVM, DACVA, used liposome-encapsulated hydromorphone made with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and cholesterol (DPPC-C hydromorphone) for the study. Different concentrations of the formulation, created at the university, were subcutaneously injected into healthy beagles. The concentration of hydromorphone in the dog’s blood serum was then measured at various intervals to determine whether the drug was working. “We extrapolated that certain serum levels (as shown in human studies) are correlated with surgical analgesia,” Smith said.

When a medical error leads to an “adverse outcome,” the veterinarian needs to take some steps right away. Obviously, the doctor should first tend to the patient’s immediate clinical care. Then, he or she should develop a clear picture of what happened, and, while recognizing his or her own emotions and needs about the incident, prepare for discussion with the client. Careful preparation begins with verifying what went wrong and what steps will be taken to prevent the error’s recurrence. More important, it involves anticipating and devising an empathetic response to the client’s emotional reaction—and apologizing forthrightly for committing the error. Veterinarians will experience greatest success with clients if they take the time to think through and plan the conversation they will have to explain and apologize for the error, according to Kathleen Bonvicini, EdD, MPH, associate director for education and research at the New Haven, Conn.-based Institute for Healthcare Communication.

The COVID-19 pandemic looks pretty grim for veterinarians here in North America. But how does it look to your colleagues around the world facing the same challenges? Are they facing the same challenges? To find out, NEWStat got in touch with some folk at the World Small Animal Veterinarian Association.

Veterinary practices have been busier in the past couple of weeks than many in the profession had predicted. So NEWStat took an informal sampling of AAHA-accredited practices to see what their caseloads look like at this point in the pandemic.

Need to moment to catch your breath? Your colleagues talk about what's working for them.

Aerosolization could explain the alarming spike in COVID cases. Is your hospital's ventilation system up to the challenge?

Margot Vahrenwald, DVM, points out that everyone on the practice team has a role in providing excellent customer service; a promo for the new 2020 AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines; Dear AAHA addresses where to seek financial assistance after a disaster; and VMI is accepting applicants.