VIN ANES112-0319: Opioid-lite Anesthesia (Anesthesia in the face of Opioid Shortages)

The lectures for this course will be presented in an audio format using a webinar platform.

Enrollment is closed.
Presenter(s): Kris Kruse-Elliott, DVM, PhD, DACVAA
Nancy Brock, DVM, DACVAA
Lydia Love, DVM, DACVAA

Course Open: March 19-April 26, 2019
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Tuesdays, March 26, April 2, 9, and 16, 2019; 8:00-10:00 pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter

Level and Prerequisites: This basic course will will appeal to seasoned, newly minted and returning small animal clinicians alike - anyone interested in deepening their understanding of decision making that enhances clinical anesthesia in the face of opioid shortages.
VIN CE Course: Open to veterinarians. Licensed or experienced (5 years suggested) veterinary staff may also enroll provided they are associated with an enrolled veterinarian. Veterinary staff need to provide the name of their veterinarian in the comment section during the enrollment process. This course has been submitted for RACE approval for veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists.

Course Information:
In the age of drug shortages, providing safe and humane anesthesia \or veterinary patients may require some clinical creativity. This course will help you keep your small animal patients comfortable by exploring alternative opioids, multimodal approaches and regional anesthetic techniques.

Week 1 (Real Time Session March 26, 2019): Opioid-lite Anesthesia 1
Presenters: Nancy Brock, DVM, DACVAA
Lydia Love, DVM, DACVAA
Kris Kruse-Elliott, DVM, PhD, DACVAA
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • Gain familiarity with of a variety of opioids
  • Understand the uses of alternative parenteral analgesic drugs, including ketamine and dexmedetomidine.
  • Develop a repertoire of simple and effective locoregional anesthetic techniques
  • Be able to create an multimodal analgesic plan for patients undergoing invasive procedures
Week 2 (Real Time Session April 2, 2019): Opioid-lite Anesthesia 2
Presenters: Nancy Brock, DVM, DACVAA
Lydia Love, DVM, DACVAA
Kris Kruse-Elliott, DVM, PhD, DACVAA
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • Gain familiarity with of a variety of opioids
  • Understand the uses of alternative parenteral analgesic drugs, including ketamine and dexmedetomidine.
  • Develop a repertoire of simple and effective locoregional anesthetic techniques
  • Be able to create an multimodal analgesic plan for patients undergoing invasive procedures
Week 3 (Real Time Session April 9, 2019): Opioid-lite Anesthesia 3
Presenters: Nancy Brock, DVM, DACVAA
Lydia Love, DVM, DACVAA
Kris Kruse-Elliott, DVM, PhD, DACVAA
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • Gain familiarity with of a variety of opioids
  • Understand the uses of alternative parenteral analgesic drugs, including ketamine and dexmedetomidine.
  • Develop a repertoire of simple and effective locoregional anesthetic techniques
  • Be able to create an multimodal analgesic plan for patients undergoing invasive procedures
Week 4 (Real Time Session April 16, 2019): Opioid-lite Anesthesia 4
Presenters: Nancy Brock, DVM, DACVAA
Lydia Love, DVM, DACVAA
Kris Kruse-Elliott, DVM, PhD, DACVAA
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • Gain familiarity with of a variety of opioids
  • Understand the uses of alternative parenteral analgesic drugs, including ketamine and dexmedetomidine.
  • Develop a repertoire of simple and effective locoregional anesthetic techniques
  • Be able to create an multimodal analgesic plan for patients undergoing invasive procedures
Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course. To learn more about the requirements for earning a CE certificate, please refer to Receiving Your CE Credit and Course Completion Certificate.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.
Required Textbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course.

About the Presenter(s):
Nancy Brock, DVM, DACVAA
Originally from Montreal, Dr. Brock obtained her DVM degree from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph in 1982. She completed a residency in anesthesia and critical care at the University of California, Davis in 1988. In 1995, she became certified as a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. Based in Vancouver British Columbia, Dr. Brock provides veterinarians and their nursing staff with anesthesia assistance and expertise. This assistance comes in the form of case management through telemedicine, telephone consultation, in-clinic delivery of anesthesia to high risk or fragile patients and the training of veterinarians and technicians in advanced anesthesia techniques. She is also the author of a quick reference anesthesia publication entitled Veterinary Anesthesia Update for small animal practitioners.

Lydia Love, DVM, DACVAA
Dr. Love graduated from the University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002, completed a small animal internship in San Diego, and then worked for The Humane Society of the United States organizing and conducting free sterilization clinics in the rural Southeastern US. This work led her to develop a passionate interest in anesthesia, pain management, and complete peri-operative care. Dr. Love returned to the University of Tennessee to complete a residency in veterinary anesthesia and obtained board certification from the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia & Analgesia in 2010. She has since been working in private specialty practice and is a co-editor of and author of several chapters in the book, Pain Management in Veterinary Practice.

Kris Kruse-Elliott, DVM, PhD, DACVAA
Dr. Kruse received her DVM from Oregon State University in 1984. The following year was spent in mixed animal practice in Seattle, WA before moving on to advanced specialty training in anesthesiology. She completed her anesthesia residency at North Carolina State University from 1985-1988, becoming board certified and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia in 1989. Dr. Kruse received her PhD in pulmonary physiology from North Carolina State University in 1992 and joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison the same year where she taught for 15 years. Dr. Kruse has been the medical director at Animalscan in Redwood City, CA since 2006.

Total CE Credit: 8

Tuition: Member $184 ($166 early bird special if enrolled by March 5, 2019)
Non-Member $292 ($263 early bird special if enrolled by March 5, 2019)
Prices are listed in US dollars.

*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on March 26, 2019 at 5 pm ET (USA) or when the maximum number of participants is reached.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

To Enroll:
  1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  3. Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
  4. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
Enrollment is closed.

"This program (RACE program number to be determined) has been submitted for approval by AAVSB RACE to offer a total of 8 CE Credits, with a maximum of 8 CE Credits being available to any individual veterinarian or veterinary technician/technologist. This RACE approval is for the subject matter categories of: Medical, using the delivery method of Interactive-Distance: (Web-based, Teleconference or Audio-Conference). This approval is valid in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE; however, participants are responsible for ascertaining each board's CE requirements."

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN office 800-846-0028 ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog.

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director

VIN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357