Page 9 - Animal Care Trust Annual Review 2018-2019

OUR IMPACT ON...PATIENT CARE
Harnessing the power of the new CT scanner
Thanks to your support, the RVC is harnessing the power of the most advanced veterinary CT scanner in Europe. Now in situ, the new CT scanner is transforming patient care at the RVC Small Animal Referrals Hospital.
Previously, scanned images appeared very slowly, slice by slice. The new CT scanner is able to perform high- resolution scans much faster. This means that more animals can be scanned awake without the images being spoiled by motion blur, more patients can be scanned in a day, and radiologists are able to review the images immediately after the scan is completed.
The new scanner is also more compact than its predecessor so a new room for sedation and monitoring of animals before and after CT has been created, which was funded by a legacy donation. Whilst patients are having a CT scan and staff are not present in the CT room due to risks of radiation, it is critical that their vital signs are monitored. Thanks to new patient monitoring equipment that is fitted in the CT control room, patients are now monitored with the latest specialist equipment to ensure their safety.
Patient monitoring and anaesthesia at the RVC
Made possible with your support, we are delighted to report the RVC Small Animal Referrals Hospital has installed a new anaesthesia monitor that will enable patients to be safely monitored at all times, including during CT scans when staff are not present in the CT room.
Lisa Angell, Head Nurse for Anaesthesia at the Small Animal Referrals Hospital, describes how important this new monitor is to patient care at the hospital: “As an anaesthesia nurse, when my patient is sedated or under anaesthetic, I want to be by their side monitoring their vital signs.
“When a patient is having a CT scan, we are unable to stay with them, so having comprehensive monitoring equipment with an additional screen in our control room allows us to continuously monitor our patients for the duration of their procedure. This enables us to always monitor their airway, breathing and circulation ensuring we see any changes to our patients’ status and act immediately if required.”
With this equipment installed, CT scans can also be kept as short as necessary without the need to interrupt them to re-adjust the settings of the monitor to ensure the patient is safe. As the largest and most comprehensive small animal referral service in Europe, the Small Animal Referrals Hospital is an internationally respected tertiary level teaching hospital providing the ultimate in specialist veterinary care.
Experts across all veterinary disciplines come together in one amazing hospital to offer an animal centred service 24-hours- a-day, 365-days-a-year. The first hospital to be designated a level one Veterinary Trauma Centre outside North America, it can respond effectively and holistically to any patient.
The Small Animal Referrals Hospital only sees emergency cases and pets requiring highly specialised treatment. For many patients, the Hospital is their only hope. Thank you for your support of this incredible hospital.
Professor Vicky Lipscombe, Associate Professor
of Small Animal Surgery:
“The CT scanner is making a substantial difference to the number of treatments we are able to offer our patients, the quality of our diagnoses, and the advances we can make in veterinary medicine for the benefit of all animals.”
Dr Pilar Lafuente, Lecturer in Small Animal
Orthopaedic Surgery:
“It is so exciting to be able to see these images in such detail because it is possible to monitor a patient’s implants with the utmost precision. The CT scanner brings so many benefits and we are looking forward to seeing what more it can do in the future.”
9