Advancing Patient Care

Principal Investigator: Dr Emi Barker

A collaborative study with Ohio State University, University of California Davis, and University of Sydney.

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal disease of cats. Diagnosis can be challenging; therefore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is being explored as a tool for facilitating in diagnosis. A form of AI, machine learning (ML), has the potential to predict a diagnosis of FIP and potentially response to treatment more accurately than an experienced clinician.

However, in order for ML to generate accurate algorithms – and subsequently test the accuracy of those algorithms – a large set of clinical and clinicopathological data from cats with a diagnosis of FIP and similar cats with an alternate diagnosis is required.

As part of an international collaborative study (PIs Dr Samantha Evans at Ohio State University, and Dr Krystle Reagan at University of California Davis – veterinary specialist with a track record of investigating FIP and ML) clinical history and clinicopathological results for cats diagnosed with FIP and signalment-matched (age / breed / sex) cats without FIP will be reviewed and shared anonymously. These cats will be retrospectively recruited via the Langford Vets Small Animal Hospital, Langford Vets Small Animal Practice, and University of Bristol Feline Infectious Peritonitis Biobank.

These data would be used to determine the accuracy of ML in the diagnosis of FIP from clinical and routine clinicopathological data.

Principal Investigator: Robin Stallard

This study aims to assess the opioid sparing effect of intravenous paracetamol in dogs undergoing a routine orthopaedic surgery. Clients presenting their dogs to the hospital for unilateral tibial plateau levelling osteotomy can opt in to the study. There will be a test group receiving IV paracetamol and a control group that does not. The dogs will all receive a standard anaesthetic/surgical management protocol with the only difference being the study group will also receive 10mg/kg paracetamol IV every 8 hours starting at the time of induction of anaesthesia. The dogs will be regularly assessed for pain after the surgery and additional analgesia (methadone 0.1mg/kg IV) will be given if required. The total dose of methadone required will be compared between groups to assess the opioid sparing effect of 10mg/kg paracetamol IV.

Principal Investigator: Daniel Lomas

Simini is a lavage solution that is used intra-operatively to reduce biofilm on orthopaedic implants in the presence of infection or in surgeries with a higher expected infection rate e.g revision surgery. The solution does not contain antibiotics and is a combination of active ingredients. It therefore aims to reduce the use of antibiotics in orthopaedic surgery. In addition, biofilms are inherently resistant to penetration by antibiotics. Simini has been theorised to have a synergistic effect with antibiotic therapy by weakening or disrupting the bacterial biofilm.

The effectiveness of this solution has not been demonstrated on pseudomonas biofilms which is commonly isolated bacteria from veterinary orthopaedic infections and tends to form implant biofilms easily. In addition, the effectiveness on 316L stainless steel, which is the most used material in veterinary orthopaedic implants, has not been investigated.