Emma Place

Quality assurance in subject gateways: creating high quality portals on the Internet

This paper presents the development of guidelines for assuring quality and consistency in the creation of high quality information gateways and portals on the Internet. This method is presented as a transferable model for quality assurance in the use and development of learning technologies, and as an example of good practice in the management of information on the Internet. The paper demonstrates the importance of quality assurance as part of the process, illustrating how structured guidelines can be used to support the transfer of good practice.

Clinical decision making: Surgical management of left displaced abomasum in dairy cattle

Critically Appraised Topics (CATs) are a standardised, succinct summary of research evidence organised around a clinical question, using a form of evidence synthesis based on the principles of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM). Access to CATs enables clinicians to incorporate evidence from the scientific literature into clinical practice and they have been used to teach EBVM at the University of Bristols School of Veterinary Sciences since 2011. Similar to BestBETs for vets (VR, April 4, 2015, vol 176, p360), CATs will also be regularly published in the Clinical Decision Making section of Veterinary Record.

What is an appropriate dose of voriconazole for the treatment of aspergillosis in African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)

An African grey parrot ( Psittacus erithacus ) is presented to your practice with severe dyspnoea, inappetence and loss of body condition. Following a diagnostic workup, aspergillosis of the air sacs is diagnosed. Itraconazole (Fungitraxx 10 mg/ml oral solution for ornamental birds; Petlife International) is licensed for the treatment of aspergillosis in birds, but itraconazole toxicity has been reported in this species. Voriconazole is an alternative antifungal agent, not licensed for use in veterinary species, that can be prescribed under the cascade. You wonder what the most appropriate dose would be to treat this parrot. In [an African grey parrot with aspergillosis] is [low dose voriconazole (6 mg/kg)] or [high dose voriconazole (10 to 18 mg/kg)] more appropriate [for treatment of aspergillosis]? The search terms Aspergillus OR aspergillosis OR mycoses OR mycosis AND ‘African grey parrot’ OR ‘African gray parrot’ OR ‘African grey parrots’ OR ‘African gray parrots’ OR ‘Timneh grey parrot’ OR ‘ Psittacus erithacus ’ OR ‘ Psittacus erithacus timneh ’ OR ‘ Psittacus timneh ’ AND Voriconazole were used. Search last performed: December 7, 2017 Paper 1: Pharmacokinetics of voriconazole after oral administration of single and multiple doses in African grey parrots ( Psittacus erithacus timneh )1 Patient group: Twenty healthy Timneh African grey parrots were assigned to one of two groups. Group 1 (n=12) received single doses at day 0 of either 6 mg/kg, …

Is ciclosporin an effective treatment for canine pemphigus foliaceus

assess this case report for the efficacy of ciclosporin due to the multimodal treatment given to the dog. Co-therapy with antibiotics, home-made topical glucocorticoid preparations and azathioprine was used, and the azathioprine was continued after the cessation of ciclosporin; it is therefore unclear whether the ciclosporin was responsible for remission. The use of home-made preparations is also unlicensed and its efficacy difficult to measure. The fact that it only involves one dog and there is no comparison possible also makes assessments on the efficacy of the treatment method difficult. Lesional scores were recorded but only as percentages, rather than a recognised scoring system.

The challenge of teaching undergraduates evidence-based veterinary medicine

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons now lists ‘How to evaluate evidence’ as a day one competence for newly qualified vets. In this article, representatives from each of the veterinary schools in the UK discuss how the challenge of delivering and assessing the concepts of evidence-based veterinary medicine in a crowded undergraduate curriculum can be met.

Is treating anal furunculosis with 5 mg/kg ciclosporin once daily the optimal dosing schedule?

Critically Appraised Topics (CATs) are a standardised, succinct summary of research evidence organised around a clinical question, and a form of evidence synthesis used in the practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM). Access to CATs enables clinicians to incorporate evidence from the scientific literature into clinical practice and they have been used to teach EBVM at the University of Bristols School of Veterinary Sciences since 2011. CATs from Bristol university will be regularly published in the Clinical Decision Making section of Veterinary Record. The first CAT was published in VR, January 30, 2016, vol 178, pp 118-119.

Treatment of canine oral papillomatosis

Clinical scenario An 11-month-old male, neutered crossbreed is presented to you with a five-month history of grey, pedunculated cauliflower-like lesions in its oral cavity; histopathological findings were consistent with a diagnosis of oral papillomatosis. The owner was previously told that the lesions are due to viral infection and that they would spontaneously regress over four to eight weeks, but they have persisted, are now more extensive and the dog is reluctant to eat.Abstract of a symposium on Clinical decision making at the 67th Annual National Conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society (ANCIPS 2015), 8-11 January 2015, Hyderabad, India. Disciplines Medicine and Health Sciences | Social and Behavioral Sciences Publication Details Pai, N. B., Rajan, B. & Prabhu, S. (2015). Symposium on Clinical decision making. In ANCIPS 2015, 8-11 January 2015, Hyderabad,India. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 57 (Suppl. 1), S162-S163. This conference paper is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers/3181

Next steps for the Resource Discovery Network (RDN) Virtual Training Suite

Purpose – The paper seeks to investigate the benefits of the Resource Discovery Network (RDN) Virtual Training Suite.Design/methodology/approach – This paper gives an overview of the service, its impact in the community and its funding history and future.Findings – The RDN Virtual Training Suite offers free, subject‐based internet training online. It was designed to provide a user‐education service to supplement the services offered by the RDN. The Virtual Training Suite comprises 61 “teach yourself” web tutorials, with titles ranging from “Internet Chemist” to “Internet Philosopher”. Each offers the user a tour of the best of the web for the subject, plus guidance on internet searching and web site evaluation. Evidence suggests that it is being widely adopted in taught courses and library instruction.Originality/value – The paper is useful for anyone planning to use the RDN Virtual Training Suite.