Low-Cost Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics

Low-Cost Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics
 
A practical guide to maximizing the diagnostic value of in-house quick assessment tests (QATs)
 
In Low-Cost Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics, the authors provide a hands-on resource designed to facilitate healthcare delivery across the spectrum of care.
 
Historically, clinicians have been taught to apply the gold standard approach to the practice of medicine. However, recent advances in veterinary medical care and associated technologies have made practitioners question whether a one-size-fits-all approach is truly best. After all, when we perform diagnostic tests, are we testing out of the desire for completeness, to cover all bases for the good of the patient? Or are we testing because we are expected to?
 
The reality is that gold standard care is not always advisable and not always possible. In clinical practice, veterinarians frequently encounter obstacles that limit their approaches to case management. Cost of care is a significant constraint that requires practitioners to rethink which diagnostic tests are essential.
 
Not every patient requires a complete blood count (CBC), chemistry profile, urinalysis, and fecal analysis to obtain diagnostic value. This text suggests that the "best" approach to case management be determined by the situation, the context, the patient, and the client.
 
While sophisticated panels of tests may remain the recommended approach to case management, Low-Cost Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics outlines entry-level, in-house diagnostic blood, urine, fecal, and body cavity fluid tests: how to perform them as well as the breadth and depth of patient-specific data that can be gleaned from quick assessment tests (QATs).
 
Readers will also find:
* A thorough introduction to patient care considerations, communication strategies that facilitate cost-conscious shared decision-making
* Comprehensive explorations of quick assessment tests (QATs) in hematology, including packed cell volume (PCV), total solids (TS), buffy coat analysis, blood smears, blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), saline agglutination tests, and activated clotting time.
* Practical discussions of quick assessment tests (QATs) involving urine, including urine color, dipstick analysis, specific gravity (USG), and urine sediment analysis
* Pragmatic evaluation of fecal analysis, including considerations surrounding fecal color, volume, consistency, and odor; saline smears or wet mounts, and fecal flotation.
* Discussion on body cavity fluid analysis
* Sample case vignettes, complete with question and answer (Q&A)
 
Perfect for veterinary practitioners, veterinary technicians, veterinary and veterinary technician students, Low-Cost Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics offers a quick and easy reference guide to maximizing diagnostic value in those cases where care is cost-prohibitive.

List of contents

About the Authors xiv
 
About the Contributors xvii
 
Preface xviii
 
Acknowledgments xxi
 
Part 1 Patient Care Considerations 1
 
1 The Gold Standard, Standards of Care, and Spectrum of Care: An Evolving Approach to Diagnostic Medicine 3
Ryane E. Englar
 
1.1 Defining the Gold Standard 3
 
1.2 Limitations of the Gold Standard 4
 
1.3 Returning to the Case of the Cat with Stranguria: a Different Perspective on Standards of Care 4
 
1.4 Limitations to Standards of Care 5
 
1.5 Spectrum of Care 6
 
References 7
 
2 Consultation Room Communication Strategies that Facilitate Dialogue on the Diagnostic Approach to Patient Care 9
Ryane E. Englar
 
2.1 Emergence of Communication as a Clinically Relevant Skill in Human Health Care 9
 
2.2 The Evolution of Communication in Veterinary Health Care 10
 
2.3 Communication Skills That Are Essential to Diagnosis-Making 11
 
2.4 Concepts of Health Literacy and Compliance 13
 
2.5 Using Easy-to-Understand (Nonmedical) Language 14
 
2.6 Checking in 15
 
2.7 Assessing the Client's Knowledge 17
 
2.8 Signposting 18
 
2.9 Addressing the Cost of Care 20
 
References 22
 
Part 2 Quick Assessment Tests (QATS) Involving Blood 27
 
3 Packed Cell Volume 29
Sharon M. Dial
 
3.1 Procedural Definition: What Is this Test About? 29
 
3.2 Procedural Purpose: Why Should I Perform this Test? 29
 
3.3 Equipment 29
 
3.4 Procedural Steps: How Do I Perform this Test? 30
 
3.5 Time Estimate to Perform Test 33
 
3.6 Procedural Tips and Troubleshooting 33
 
3.7 Interpreting Test Results 34
 
3.8 Clinical Case Example(s): Can We Link to the Cases in Chapter 5? 35
 
3.9 Add-On Tests That You May Need to Consider and Their Additive Value 35
 
3.10 Key Takeaways 36
 
References 36
 
4 Total Protein as Measured by Refractometry 37
Sharon M. Dial
 
4.1 Procedural Definition: What Is This Test About? 37
 
4.2 Procedural Purpose: Why Should I Perform this Test? 37
 
4.3 Equipment 38
 
4.4 Procedural Steps: How Do I Perform this Test? 38
 
4.5 Time Estimate to Perform Test 42
 
4.6 Procedural Tips and Troubleshooting 43
 
4.7 Interpreting Test Result 43
 
4.8 Clinical Case Example(s) 44
 
4.9 Add-On Tests That You May Need to Consider and Their Additive Values 44
 
4.10 Key Takeaways 44
 
Reference 45
 
Suggested References 45
 
5 Gross and Microscopic Evaluation of the Buffy Coat 46
Sharon M. Dial
 
5.1 Procedural Definition: What Is This Test About? 46
 
5.2 Procedural Purpose: Why Should I Perform this Test? 46
 
5.3 Equipment 47
 
5.4 Procedural Steps: How Do I Perform this Test? 47
 
5.5 Time Estimate to Perform Test 50
 
5.6 Procedural Tips and Troubleshooting 53
 
5.7 Interpreting Test Results 53
 
5.8 Clinical Case Example(s) 54
 
5.9 Add-On Tests That You May Need to Consider and Their Additive Value 54
 
5.10 Key Takeaways 54
 
Reference 54
 
6 The Blood Film 55
Sharon M. Dial
 
6.1 Procedural Definition: What Is This Test About? 55
 
6.2 Procedural Purpose: Why Should I Perform This Test? 55
 
6.3 Equipment 55
 
6.4 Procedural Steps: Preparing the Blood Film How Do I Perform This Test? 56
 
6.5 Time Estimate to Perform Test 64
 
6.6 Procedural Tips and Troubleshooting 64
 
6.7 Interpreting Test Results 69
 
6.8 Clinical Case Example(s) 70
 
6

About the author

Ryane E. Englar, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice) is Executive Director of Clinical and Professional Skills and Associate Professor at the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine in Oro Valley, Arizona, USA. Sharon M. Dial, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP (Clinical and Anatomic Pathology) is Research Scientist at the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine in Oro Valley, Arizona, USA.

Summary

Low-Cost Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics

A practical guide to maximizing the diagnostic value of in-house quick assessment tests (QATs)

In Low-Cost Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics, the authors provide a hands-on resource designed to facilitate healthcare delivery across the spectrum of care.

Historically, clinicians have been taught to apply the gold standard approach to the practice of medicine. However, recent advances in veterinary medical care and associated technologies have made practitioners question whether a one-size-fits-all approach is truly best. After all, when we perform diagnostic tests, are we testing out of the desire for completeness, to cover all bases for the good of the patient? Or are we testing because we are expected to?

The reality is that gold standard care is not always advisable and not always possible. In clinical practice, veterinarians frequently encounter obstacles that limit their approaches to case management. Cost of care is a significant constraint that requires practitioners to rethink which diagnostic tests are essential.

Not every patient requires a complete blood count (CBC), chemistry profile, urinalysis, and fecal analysis to obtain diagnostic value. This text suggests that the "best" approach to case management be determined by the situation, the context, the patient, and the client.

While sophisticated panels of tests may remain the recommended approach to case management, Low-Cost Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics outlines entry-level, in-house diagnostic blood, urine, fecal, and body cavity fluid tests: how to perform them as well as the breadth and depth of patient-specific data that can be gleaned from quick assessment tests (QATs).

Readers will also find:
* A thorough introduction to patient care considerations, communication strategies that facilitate cost-conscious shared decision-making
* Comprehensive explorations of quick assessment tests (QATs) in hematology, including packed cell volume (PCV), total solids (TS), buffy coat analysis, blood smears, blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), saline agglutination tests, and activated clotting time.
* Practical discussions of quick assessment tests (QATs) involving urine, including urine color, dipstick analysis, specific gravity (USG), and urine sediment analysis
* Pragmatic evaluation of fecal analysis, including considerations surrounding fecal color, volume, consistency, and odor; saline smears or wet mounts, and fecal flotation.
* Discussion on body cavity fluid analysis
* Sample case vignettes, complete with question and answer (Q&A)

Perfect for veterinary practitioners, veterinary technicians, veterinary and veterinary technician students, Low-Cost Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics offers a quick and easy reference guide to maximizing diagnostic value in those cases where care is cost-prohibitive.

Product details

• Authors: Sharon Dial, Sharon M Dial, Sharon M. Dial, Sharon M. (University of Arizona) Englar Dial, Dial Sharon M., Englar, Re Englar, Ryane E Englar, Ryane E. Englar, Ryane E. (Midwestern University College of Englar, Englar Ryane E.
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 28.02.2023
• EAN: 9781119714507
• ISBN: 978-1-119-71450-7
• No. of pages: 368
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Medicine > Veterinary medicine; Veterinärmedizin, Diagnostik, veterinary medicine, Allg. Veterinärmedizin, Praxismanagement i. d. Veterinärmedizin, Veterinary Practice Management