Page 3 - Clinical Connections - Summer 2024
P. 3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

               Turbulence or Dynamism                                      anaemia and normalisation of her white blood
                 s I write this, much of the extensive                     cell count and morphology.
                 building  work  on  the  Hawkshead                          Page  five  features  a  cat  who  had  regularly
          A Campus is coming to its conclusion                             donated  to  our  Blood  Donor  Programme
          and  the  sun  is  shining  on  some  gleaming                   ultimately benefiting from his own plasma. Leo
          white  walls.  The  Hawkshead  development                       had  been  sleeping  more  than  usual,  eating
          project, which was slowed somewhat by the                        poorly and struggling to breathe. Pus was found
          global pandemic, has given us a chance to                        in his chest cavity and CT identified abscesses
          reflect on how far the RVC has come.                             in  his  lungs,  meaning  surgery  was  indicated.
            Some  of  our  country’s  academic                             During  surgery  Leo  required  plasma  and  the
          institutions  are  so  old  that  it  might  seem                Transfusion  Medicine Team  were  able  to  use
          like  an  inevitability  that  they  would  have                 Leo’s own plasma.
          thrived  and  grown  through  the  centuries.                      The centre pages is based upon an interview
          That, however, is not the case; the mighty Harvard University’s   with  Dan  Brockman,  about  progress  within  the  Cardiothoracic
          veterinary school, which was established in 1882, only survived   Surgery Service. The RVNs in that team play a number of critical
          two decades.                                        roles, spanning ICU work, communication with owners, patient
            Universities require investment to survive and thrive. They also   co-ordination and theatre nursing. In the article Dan talks about
          need to attract not just bright and dedicated students but also   the value of the same person observing at the dog multiple times
          devoted staff who are responsive to the realities of a turbulent   a day, which allows them to pick up on subtle changes.
          external world.                                       Dan also talks about the development of Matteo Rossanese
            Vets, veterinary nurses and veterinary scientists are by nature   as a surgeon also working on mitral valve cases. This, along with
          and training curious and adaptable people and our teams across   other  team  members,  has  enabled  more  dogs  to  receive  this
          the RVC share those characteristics. I know it is the same across   highly specialised treatment by the team.
          the veterinary sector, where not only does each patient’s clinical   On  page  eight  Joe  Fenn  and  Chris  Scudder  discuss  the
          condition have to be considered but the reality of the complex   productive  relationship  between  hypophysectomy  surgery
          world outside the consultation room is ever present.  and  research  at  the  RVC.  The  UK’s  first  successful  feline
            One person’s turbulence is another person’s dynamism, and   hypophysectomy surgery, in 2012 at the RVC, treated a cat with
          external factors, – especially in relation to the needs of animals,   hypersomatotropism and diabetes mellitus. Since then the team
          their owners and society – encouraged the veterinary professions   has been following the progress of patients closely, which has
          to  emerge  and  develop.  From  the  need  to  tackle  rinderpest,   enabled groundbreaking clinical research and paved the way for
          leading to the emergence of the veterinary college in Lyon, to   new treatments.
          changes in how and why (and which) animals are kept, to the   Members  of  the  pathology  team  discuss  the  usefulness  of
          endless evolution of diseases and treatments to keep us on our   immunohistochemistry in surgical oncopathology on page nine.
          toes, we have always had to learn and adapt.        This  is  a  very  complex  area  but  extremely  relevant  to  vets
            As  a  profession  we  grow  together  and  often  this  is  across   everywhere. As the authors point out, life expectancy of animals
          international boundaries. You will have hopefully read our front   increases  as  veterinary  care  evolves  and  this  means  cancer
          page  article  about  RVC  colleagues  working  with  specialists   prevalence  increases.  Accurate  early  diagnosis  of  cancer  is
          overseas to offer advanced training in small animal nephrology   challenging due to the multifactorial origin and many faces of the
          and urology. The American College of Veterinary Nephrology and   disease, underlining the importance of diagnostic pathology.
          Urology is of great value to the many cats and dogs requiring this   Last but definitely not least, page ten features the case of a
          expertise and those clinicians who seeking to develop expertise   dog called Worm. The article is authored by Holly Smith, who is
          in this important and complex area.                 not just our Head Neurology and Rehabilitation RVN but Worm’s
            The article on page four, by Clara Mattavelli, an Emergency   owner. Like many of our patients, Worm went through different
          and Critical Care Resident, is concerned with a complex case   stages  of  disease  and  recovery  and  benefited  from  medical
          involving a stick ingestion, diaphragmatic tear, a septic abdomen,   treatment, hemilaminectomy, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and
          pyothorax  and  immuno-mediated  haemolytic  anaemia.  The   K-laser treatment.
          whippet puppy, Daphne, went for periodical rechecks at her local
          practice and blood tests showed a progressive resolution of her   Amanda Boag, Vice Principal (Clinical Services)




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