Companion May 2012 - BSAVA

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20 | companion How to select and collect: feline blood donation Figure 3: Blood is withdrawn into a 20 ml syringe containing 2.5 ml of cpDA, and regularly mixed during collection. Use of a three-way tap is highly recommended, although not seen in this photograph ■■ The phlebotomist raises the vein and inserts the butterfly needle into the jugular vein; this can be directed caudally or cranially. ■■ The needle is attached to the three-way tap and the syringe. The second assistant draws back on the syringe to collect the blood. The syringe should be regularly inverted to mix the blood thoroughly with the CPDA (Figure 3). ■■ Once the first syringe is filled the three-way tap is closed and the syringe disconnected before being capped with a sterile needle. ■■ The second assistant then repeats the process with the second and third syringes. ■■ Once complete, the butterfly needle is removed and gentle pressure with a dry swab is applied over the jugular vein. Any sedation is reversed as necessary. ■■ If desired, the blood can then be transferred aseptically into the blood collection bag. The donor should be kept warm and carefully monitored whilst they recover. Hartmann’s fluid is administered intravenously – typically 2–3 times the amount of blood that has been collected. This should be administered as a 5–10 ml/kg bolus over 20 minutes and then the remainder at 4 ml/kg/h over the next 2–3 hours. Food should be offered to the donor as soon as possible. Other options for collection Other options are available for the collection of feline blood, such as the use of a 50 ml syringe with integrated blood collection bag. Although these may be easier from the point of view that syringes do not need to be changed, in the author’s opinion they pose a number of difficulties. The use of a 50 ml syringe results in increased pressure in comparison to a smaller syringe and this can cause the vein to collapse making blood collection very difficult. Secondly, if for whatever reason it was not possible to obtain the full 50 ml of blood, that which is collected would be over-anticoagulated (in a 50 ml syringe) and its use would risk complications for the recipient (such as hypocalcaemia). By using two 20 ml and a 10 ml syringe the pheblotomist is minimising the risk that any collected blood would need to be discarded. Once the blood is collected it should be used as soon as possible, as the feline blood collection technique is not closed and there is a risk of bacterial contamination and growth. For further details on feline blood administration and transfusion reactions the reader is directed to ‘How to utilise blood products in small animals’ companion April 2011 and is reminded that use of an inline filter is essential (Figure 4). Feline blood collection and transfusion is achievable in general practice. It requires minimal equipment and can often be a life-saving procedure for the recipient. It is, however, important to follow an established protocols to protect both the donor and the recipient. ■ Figure 4: Use of an inline filter (such as a hemo-Nate) is essential during blood transfusion in cats for removal of any clots
Scottish Congress · 31 AUGUST – 2 SEPTEMBER 2012 Now head north for a Summer Congress BSAVA Congress welcomed its Celtic siblings with a dedicated stand to promote the Northern Ireland and Scottish conferences in the NIA From their stand in the NIA, members of the BSAVA Scottish Congress team urged vets and nurses in Birmingham to stretch their minds further without putting a big dent in their CPD budgets by attending the Edinburgh event 31 August – 2 September. The main topics for vets are ophthalmology and orthopaedics, while nurses can strengthen their knowledge in nutrition and neutraceuticals, peri/post partum conditions and neonatology. Accessible CPD Anyone who has been to Scottish Congress before knows they can expect to experience a warm and friendly welcome in Edinburgh. Congress Co-ordinator Barbara-Ann Innes said: “We are very much looking forward to hosting this great event, which makes veterinary expertise, CPD hours and the strong social aspect more accessible for those who live in Scotland and the north of England, though we do have visitors flying in from outside the UK too. “There is a lot of expertise in Scotland and this is a great place for them to share their experiences. For some delegates it will be about cementing knowledge they may have lost and for others it will be about providing them with new information or refreshing clinical skills. “It is always a very lively, friendly and interactive occasion and the social aspect is still a very big part in a great city.” Nutrition expertise Dr Marge Chandler is a senior lecturer in internal medicine and clinical nutrition at the University of Edinburgh. She will be speaking on the growing importance of nutrition and her ultimate goal is to see a nutritional assessment added to the vital signs assessment. “Every pet, every time – that’s the mantra I want to see implemented on every visit to first opinion and referral vets,” she said. “Nutrition is the cornerstone of management for a lot of disease causes and as vets and nurses are the go-betweens to pet owners, it is important to educate them about good nutrition. “I am really looking forward to the Congress. It is an accessible event for Scottish vets and draws international visitors too due to the high quality of speakers.” Opthalmology focus Neil Geddes works at the 10-vet St Clair Practice in Fife and will be speaking about the ophthalmology exam and how to get the most out of it. “It is one of those things that there is not enough time to teach at vet school but there should be – for example, in the US they have three weeks dedicated to it. “I will try to explain the finer points and teach the techniques of ophthalmology so that it is more productive, because so much is from recognition, such as retinal blood vessels as a marker for high blood pressure, especially in cats.” He added: “It has always been a great Congress and this year looks really good, and remarkably good value.” For more information visit www.bsava.com/ scottishcongress. n companion | 21
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Companion May 2012 - BSAVA

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