Influence of acepromazine vs. medetomidine on surgical time and complication rate during canine laparoscopic ovariectomy.

Objective: To compare the effect of acepromazine on surgical duration and complication rate when compared to medetomidine.

Study Design: A randomised, prospective clinical study.

Animal Or Sample Population: Thirty-two female entire dog.

Feline gastric pneumatosis.

Case Summary: A 9-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat was presented with a 2 day history of anorexia and vomiting. A minimum database, including a complete blood count, serum biochemistry profile and urinalysis were unremarkable apart from a toxic neutrophilic left shift and borderline proteinuria. Abdominal ultrasound revealed intramural gas entrapment with thinning of the gastric wall, a hypoechoic pancreas, peritoneal fluid and a small volume of peritoneal gas along with a hyperechoic mesentery.

Laparoscopic Resection of a Pancreatic β Cell Tumor in a Dog.

Laparoscopic partial pancreatectomy has been performed in experimental canine studies and has been evaluated in human medicine but has not been reported in a clinical veterinary case. The authors present a 9 yr old field spaniel with weakness and hypoglycemia with insulin levels and Amended Insulin: Glucose Ratio results equivocal for a pancreatic insulinoma. Multiple abdominal ultrasounds did not detect the tumor, yet dual-phase computed tomographic angiography revealed the presence of a focal hypoattenuating nodule in the left lobe of the pancreas.

Comparison of laparoscopic-assisted technique and open laparotomy for gastrointestinal biopsy in cats.

Objective: To evaluate and compare the complications, postoperative pain, surgical time, hospitalization time, and adequacy of biopsy specimens between laparoscopic assisted (LAP) versus open laparotomy (OPEN) gastrointestinal biopsies in cats.

Study Design: Prospective randomized clinical study.

Sample Population: Twenty-eight cats with clinical and ultrasonographic evidence of gastrointestinal disease.

Clinical Features and Outcome of Dogs with Epiglottic Retroversion With or Without Surgical Treatment: 24 Cases.

Background: Published information describing the clinical features and outcome for dogs with epiglottic retroversion (ER) is limited.

Hypothesis/objectives: To describe clinical features, comorbidities, outcome of surgical versus medical treatment and long-term follow-up for dogs with ER. We hypothesized that dogs with ER would have upper airway comorbidities and that surgical management (epiglottopexy or subtotal epiglottectomy) would improve long-term outcome compared to medical management alone.

Surgical and nonsurgical management of patent ductus arteriosus in cats: 28 cases (1991-2012).

Objective: To characterize the clinical features and outcome of cats treated for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with attenuation (extravascular or intravascular) versus medical treatment only.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 28 client-owned cats with congenital PDA.

Short-term wound complications and predictive variables for complication after limb amputation in dogs and cats.

Objectives: To identify short-term wound complications and associated predictive factors following amputation in dogs and cats.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective review of case records of dogs and cats undergoing thoracic or pelvic limb amputation. Preoperative data on signalment, body weight, limb amputated, reason for amputation and laboratory parameters were collected.

Perioperative Mortality and Long-Term Survival in 80 Dogs and 32 Cats Undergoing Excision of Thymic Epithelial Tumors.

Objective: To examine perioperative mortality, long-term survival, causes of death, and prognostic factors for dogs and cats undergoing surgical excision of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs).

Study Design: Multi-institutional case series.

Animals: Eighty dogs and 32 cats.

Safety and efficacy of laparoscopic hepatic biopsy in dogs: 80 cases (2004-2009).

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic hepatic biopsy in dogs.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 80 client-owned dogs.

Evaluation of risk factors for morbidity and mortality after pylorectomy and gastroduodenostomy in dogs.

Objectives: To (1) identify and describe the type and frequency of postoperative complications after pylorectomy and gastroduodenostomy in dogs and (2) identify preoperative and intraoperative risk factors, including the presence of neoplasia, prognostic for patient mortality after surgery.

Study Design: Case series.

Animals: Dogs (n=24) treated by pylorectomy and gastroduodenostomy.

Reliability and validity of the adult alpha functional independence measure instrument in England.

It is essential for neuroscience nurses everywhere to have reliable and valid instruments with which to measure functional ability, but reliability and validity have yet to be reported on the adult Alpha Functional Independence Measure (AlphaFIM) in England. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the adult AlphaFIM instrument. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha.

Outcome following splenectomy in cats.

No studies have yet examined whether there are prognostic factors for survival for cats undergoing splenectomies. The medical records of 19 cats that had complete splenectomy were reviewed for information on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors. The most common presenting signs were a palpable abdominal mass in 58% and anorexia in 47% of the cats.

Discharge planning from hospital to home.

Background: Discharge planning is a routine feature of health systems in many countries. The aim of discharge planning is to reduce hospital length of stay and unplanned readmission to hospital, and improve the co-ordination of services following discharge from hospital.

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of planning the discharge of patients moving from hospital.

Complications and need for conversion to laparotomy in small animals.

Laparoscopic procedures provide the advantage of decreased patient morbidity with improved visualization and rapid patient recovery. Complications associated with laparoscopic procedures are discussed. Conversion to open laparotomy may depend on a variety of factors related to the patient, procedure, and surgeon.

Examining assessment tools for discharge planning.

Background: Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust had no common instrument to assess function throughout the trust.

Aim: To compare three functional assessment tools, and provide evidence of reliability and validity.

Method: This was a prospective study of discharge in an acute hospital trust.

Impact of acute stroke unit on hospital length of stay.

Organized inpatient stroke care (stroke unit: SU) has become the gold standard in stroke care nowadays. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of implementing an acute stroke unit on the hospital length-of-stay (LoS) on the basis of discharge planning services. Oxford Radcliffe Hospital Trust (ORHT) founded an acute SU in 2005 and closed the rehabilitative stroke wards which have operated for years.

From death and disability to patient empowerment: an interprofessional partnership to achieve cardiovascular health in Canada.

This paper proposes a paradigm shift in health care from a focus on death and disability to one on health empowerment resulting in improved cardiovascular lifestyles for all Canadians. It describes a national interprofessional initiative to achieve this new vision in the area of cardiovascular health promotion. Achieving Cardiovascular Health in Canada (ACHIC) is a partnership of health professional associations and other health advocate groups whose vision is to promote optimal cardiovascular health (including cerebrovascular health) for all Canadians through interprofessional partnership initiatives and support systems.

Achieving cardiovascular health through continuing interprofessional development.

In order to achieve cardiovascular health for all Canadians, the ACHIC (Achieving Cardiovascular Health in Canada) partnership advocates that health promotion for healthy lifestyles be incorporated into practice, and that the consistent messages and professional skills required to motivate patients and the public be acquired through interprofessional education and development. Professional education specialists are essential members of health care promotion teams with expertise to develop educational interventions that impact behaviours of health professionals and subsequent patient outcomes. Continuing medical education (CME) is in evolution to continuing professional development (CPD), and then to continuing inter-professional development (CID).

Continuing educational needs in computers and informatics. McGill survey of family physicians.

Objective: To describe family physicians' perceived educational needs in computers and informatics.

Design: Mailed survey.

Setting: General or family practices in Canada.

The importance of the case management approach: perceptions of multidisciplinary team members.

This article attempts to determine the importance of the case management approach as perceived by health professionals working in multidisciplinary teams. The case management approach is reported to streamline care and contain cost. The literature calls for continuing education in a multidisciplinary forum for all health professions; however, data on perceived or actual educational needs is scant.

Foot position awareness in younger and older men: the influence of footwear sole properties.

Objectives: To test the hypotheses that foot position awareness is related positively to stability, positively to shoe sole hardness, and negatively to shoe sole thickness, and that foot position awareness declines with advancing years.

Setting: Older subjects were consecutive volunteers from a medical clinic; younger subjects were volunteers from the community.

Design: Randomized-order, cross-over, controlled comparison.