Twenty-six clinicians learn evidence-based techniques
Dozens of Vets Now clinicians have qualified as certified instructors of veterinary CPR.
In a weekend-long training workshop just before lockdown, our vets and vet nurses learned evidence-based techniques for cardiopulmonary resuscitation as part of the Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation (RECOVER) initiative.
They were also given training on instructing other clinicians on how to perform the procedure in a systematic and organised manner.
The training was led by ECC specialist Dan Fletcher and Kenichiro Yagi, who is a veterinary technician specialist in ECC and small animal internal medicine.
Those who took part are now Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) certified, and BLS and ALS instructor certified.
Dr Yagi, who practices at Adobe Animal Hospital in California, said he became involved in the RECOVER initiative after experiencing huge variations between clinicians in their approach to CPR.
He said: “My own experiences in practice showed me that CPR could go extremely well or horribly poorly depending on the doctor and team members on duty, shift, day of the week, etc.
“We all have a sense of responsibility to ensure we do what’s best for the patient and when we’re put in situations that we can’t be sure of that the emotional toll can be tremendous.
“The aim of the RECOVER Initiative is to internationally standardise the methods in which veterinary CPR is performed by providing certifications based on an evidence-based guideline and giving a simplified framework on performing CPR through an algorithm.
“The evidence-based methods should help maximise the chances of us being able to send more patients home, which is our ultimate goal.”
The RECOVER guidelines were developed using a rigorous evidence evaluation process with the help of more than 100 board-certified veterinary specialists.
Professor Fletcher, who is based at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in New York, said: “The initiative has three main aims.
“These are to develop comprehensive, evidence-based guidelines for the practice of veterinary CPR, to foster research to address the knowledge gaps in veterinary CPR practice and to provide standardised educational content to disseminate the guidelines into veterinary practice.”
Among the Vets Now staff members to take part in the training was Liron Levy-Hirsch, who is one of our district vets.
Liron said: “CPR training is something I am personally very passionate about as it makes such a big difference to patient outcome and literally saves lives.
“The two-day training was very informative, well organised and structured. It not only provided me with basic and advanced knowledge of CPR but also improved my confidence in my ability to share this experience with others.
“I think it’s fantastic that Vets Now that has chosen to offer this training as it is such a great opportunity to share best practice and improve our standard of care based on the best veterinary evidence available.”
The RECOVER Initiative is a collaboration between the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care and the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society.