|
News you need to know  Top
Easing the Shock of Defibrillation
When a person is experiencing atrial fibrillation, their heart beat resembles the chaos of a war zone. Emergency responders and physicians typically respond with a defibrillator, a device that emits a strong electrical pulse that forces the heart back into its regular beat. Unfortunately, defibrillation can be painful to the patient and can also cause damage to surrounding tissues. Researchers at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, in collaboration with scientists both in the U.S. and abroad, may have found a way to ease the pain and reduce the damage associated with defibrillation, while still providing life-saving treatment. For more information, contact Stephanie Specchio at 607-253-3369 or sas6@cornell.edu.
Leaving Spinal Cord Injuries Breathless
We're sometimes told to "take a breath" when we need to relax. Well, researchers are showing that not taking a breath may also have health benefits. Because of a series of breakthroughs sparked by the study of sleep apnea, University of Wisconsin College of Veterinary Medicine professor Gordon Mitchell is exploring a unique treatment for spinal cord injuries. The study looks at patients with partially damaged spinal cords, focusing on ways to improve the use of their surviving neural pathways. Mitchell's method of intermittent hypoxia treatment gives patients brief and repeated periods of low oxygen to increase spinal cord plasticity, essentially training the spinal cord to achieve functions that had been lost. For more information, contact Lori Strelow at 608-263-6914 or lstrelow@vetmed.wisc.edu.
Putting the Brakes on Retinitis Pigmentosa
Members of a University of Pennsylvania research team have shown that they can prevent, or even reverse, a blinding retinal disease that occurs in both dogs and people. The disease, X-linked retinitis pigmentosa, results in early, severe and progressive vision loss. It is one of the most common inherited forms of retinal degeneration in humans. William Beltran, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine, says, "Every single abnormal feature that defines the disease in dogs was corrected following treatment." Beltran and his colleagues said the similarities of the disease in dogs and people raises hope for "a clear path to human therapies." For more information, contact Kelly Stratton 215-898-1475 or skell@vet.upenn.edu.
News you might not know Top
Fighting Flu with a Faster Diagnosis
Getting a rapid and accurate diagnosis is critical during flu outbreaks. Unfortunately, physicians and public-health officials have to choose between a highly accurate, yet time-consuming, test – or a rapid, but error-prone, test. That may be changing, though, thanks to the efforts of researchers at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. A new detection method developed at the university offers the best of both worlds. "What we've done," says veterinary researcher Ralph Tripp, "is create a diagnostic test that is rapid and highly sensitive." By overcoming the weaknesses of existing diagnostic tests, the researchers hope to make possible more timely diagnoses that can help halt the spread of flu by accurately identifying infections and allowing physicians to begin treatment early, when antiviral drugs are most effective. For more information, contact Kat Gilmore at 706-583-5485 or kygilmore@uga.edu.
News you can use Top
A sampling of interesting upcoming events and pet-related campaigns …
National Pet Dental Health Month: Feb. 1, 2012 – Feb. 29, 2012: February is National Pet Dental Health Month, a time for pet owners to focus on the importance of regular dental care and how good dental care contributes to overall good health.
|
= AVMA/SAVMA Members Only
