VIN

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The current VIN date & time: Eastern

SAIM109-1123: When Tensions are High - Blood Pressure Management

The lectures for this course will be presented via the Zoom webinar platform.

Presenters: Sallianne Schlacks, DVM, ACVIM(SAIM)
Tamilselvam Gunasekaran, BVSc & AH, DACVIM (Cardiology)
Robert Sanders, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology)
Course Open: November 27-December 21, 2023
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Monday, December 4, Wednesday, December 6, and Monday, December 11, 2023; 8:00-10:00 pm ET (USA) World Clock Converter
Total CE Credit: 6
RACE Category: 6 hours Medical


Course has been cancelled.  

Tuition: Member $138 ($124 early bird special if enrolled by November 13, 2023)
Non-Member $231 ($208 early bird special if enrolled by November 13, 2023)
Prices are listed in US dollars.


Course Information:
Systemic arterial hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension are increasingly recognized as diseases that impact survival and quality of life for small animal patients and, as such, are being diagnosed with more frequency. Because patients with these conditions can have subtle, or no, clinical signs, diagnosing and managing hypertension in small animal patients can be challenging. This interactive course, taught by a team of specialists, will use a combination of lecture, case-based examples, and audience polling to provide an overview of managing hypertension in your small animal patients.

The course will consist of three sessions that will build upon each other. The first session will provide a basic review of the normal physiology of blood pressure, the basic pathophysiology of hypertension, and the diagnostic methods for assessing blood pressure that are used most in a general practice setting. The course will then focus on the most common causes and consequences of systemic arterial hypertension, as well as an update on treatment recommendations. Finally, the two board-certified cardiologists on the course team will provide an overview of recognizing and managing patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, using case-based examples to illustrate the disease features in small animal patients.


Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, the participant should be able to
  • Explain the physiology of blood pressure homeostasis and the pathophysiology of hypertension.
  • Describe best practices for accurately assessing arterial and venous blood pressure in small animal patients.
  • Explain how common diseases in dogs and cats can lead to systemic arterial hypertension.
  • Apply knowledge of systemic hypertension to diagnose the condition in patients based on a combination of physical exam findings, blood pressure measurement, clin path findings, and diagnostic imaging results in a variety of case scenarios.
  • Create a treatment and monitoring plan for patients with systemic hypertension.
  • Explain the pathophysiology that leads to the common disease features in patients with pulmonary hypertension.
  • Apply knowledge of pulmonary hypertension to diagnose the condition in patients based on a combination of physical exam findings, clin path findings, and diagnostic imaging results.
  • Create a treatment and monitoring plan for patients with pulmonary hypertension.


Level and Prerequisites: This intermediate VIN CE course is open for enrollment to veterinarians interested in hypertension in small animal patients.
Credit Approval: This course has been submitted (but not yet approved) for 6 hours of continuing education credit for veterinarians in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval.


Course Agenda:

Week 1 (Real Time Session Monday, December 4, 2023): Under Pressure – The Basics of Blood Pressure and Hypertension
This session will provide a basic review of the normal physiology of maintaining blood pressure homeostasis, the basic pathophysiology of hypertension and its damaging effects on end organs, and the available diagnostic methods used for assessing blood pressure in a general practice setting.

Week 2 (Real Time Session Monday, December 6, 2023): When Tensions are High – Diagnosis and Management of Systemic Hypertension
This session will focus more specifically on systemic arterial hypertension in small animal patients with an overview of the most common diseases that cause hypertension as well as how to diagnose hypertension target organ damage. Attendees will also be provided with the best practice recommendations for managing and monitoring patients with systemic hypertension. <

Week 3 (Real Time Session Monday, December 11, 2023): Dealing with Pulmonary Hypertension
Unlike systemic hypertension that lends itself relatively well to simple diagnostic methods, such as indirect blood pressure measurement, pulmonary hypertension can be very difficult to recognize and even more difficult to diagnose. The board-certified cardiologists on the course team will provide an overview of pulmonary hypertension as well as some tips for recognizing its diseases features., Attendees will be provided with advice on how to go about achieving a definitive diagnosis, as well as some best practices of treatment for patients with pulmonary hypertension. <


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.


Course has been cancelled.  

Tuition: Member $138 ($124 early bird special if enrolled by November 13, 2023)
Non-Member $231 ($208 early bird special if enrolled by November 13, 2023)
Prices are listed in US dollars.


*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on December 1, 2023 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.


Enrollment qualifications:
  1. VIN CE Courses:
    1. VIN CE courses are open to VIN member, VIN student member, and non-member veterinarians.
    2. Veterinary support staff must be VSPN members in order to enroll in a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. VSPN CE Courses:
    1. VSPN CE courses are open to veterinary support staff and veterinarians.
    2. Only VIN and VSPN members can enroll in a VSPN CE course.
    3. Veterinarians will only receive credit for those VSPN CE courses that specify in the Accreditation statement that the course is accredited for veterinarians.
  3. Please check the course Level and Prerequisites, Accreditation, and Tuition before enrolling.
  4. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses.
    1. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  5. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email CEonVIN@vin.com. Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.


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: CEonVIN@vin.com
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