ABSTRACT OF THE WEEK

Veterinary surgery : VS : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Volume 47 | Issue 3 (April 2018)

A profile of morbidity and mortality rounds within resident training programs of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Vet Surg. April 2018;47(3):343-349.

Philip J Kieffer¹, P.O. Eric Mueller²

¹ Department of Large Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.; ² Department of Large Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:To describe the structure and role of morbidity and mortality rounds (MMR) in resident training programs of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS).

STUDY DESIGN:Cross-sectional analysis: survey.

SAMPLE POPULATION:ACVS surgical resident program directors.

METHODS:Electronic surveys consisting of 27 questions were sent to the directors of 142 ACVS resident programs.

RESULTS:Forty-five (31.6%) programs completed the survey, including 24 (53.3%) from small animal programs and 21 (46.7%) from large animal programs. Thirty-two (71.1%) programs incorporated regular MMR in their training. The primary goal of these rounds was improvement of patient care (63%) and education (31%). Selection of cases was based on unexpected mortality (80%), unexpected morbidity (77.4%), teaching value (65.7%), and review of medical errors (63%). Twenty-six percent of programs reported conducting formal follow-up for topics discussed during MMR. Ninety-five percent of programs believed that MMR were valuable.

CONCLUSION:MMR are commonly incorporated in surgical resident training programs. The primary objectives of these rounds are to educate residents, refine hospital medical and operational policies, and to improve patient care. The majority of residency programs view MMR as worthwhile. However, the majority of veterinary residency programs fail to follow up MMR with formal initiatives for improvement and objective outcome assessments for issues identified during MMR.

Article Tools:

Medline

Email to me

Archives Highlights:

Cowpox in zoo and wild animals in the United Kingdom.
We present epidemiological data and diagnostic features of 27 recent, naturally occurring cowpox cases in zoo and wild animals across the UK, including the first reports of cowpox in two snow leopards, a Bengal tiger, three Chilean pudus, a Malayan tapir, and a Eurasian otter, and the first reports of Orthopoxvirus infection in a lar gibbon, a Southern tamandua, and an aardvark.

Human Injuries Associated with the Transport of Horses by Road.
There were 112/1067 (10.5%) handlers injured while preparing (13/112), loading (39/112), traveling (6/112), or unloading (33/112). Of these, 40% had multiple injury types, and 33% had several body regions affected. Hand injuries were most common (46%), followed by the foot (25%), arm (17%), and head or face (15%). Median recovery time was 7 days.

Urinary Tract Trauma in Cats: Stabilisation, Diagnosis and Management.
This review summarises the current knowledge available from a number of original articles and textbook chapters in the literature that cover all aspects of feline urinary tract trauma, and is supported by the authors' own clinical experience.

Immunosuppressant Therapy in Small Animal Medicine: What, When, and Why
Immunosuppressant drugs are categorized into steroid medications (e.g., prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone, budesonide), calcineurin inhibitors (e.g., cyclosporine), antiproliferative medications (e.g., azathioprine, mycophenolate, leflunomide), and mechanistic target of rapamycin inhibitors (not currently used routinely in veterinary medicine). This article focuses on the first 3 categories.

Key Takeaways for Veterinarians from the NAVTA Demographics Survey
Low salary is still viewed as the most challenging aspect of the job, with 39% of respondents ranking this both the top challenge currently and the top projected issue for the next 5 years. One in 3 credentialed veterinary technicians maintains a second job, often full time, suggesting that they need additional income to support themselves and/or their families.