SAVSNETSpring 2019

Research Surveillance Benchmarking

Can SAVSNET be used toimprove reporting of

suspected adversereactions?

In February this year, we welcomed Heather Davies MPharm MRPharmS to ourteam to investigate whether SAVSNET could be used to improve reporting ofsuspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Heather is a pharmacist whosebackground is in pharmacovigilance, and she is completing a PhD funded by theVMD, University of Liverpool and SAVSNET. Currently, suspected ADRs identified in clinic are voluntarily reported to theregulatory authority, VMD or manufacturing pharmaceutical company. In humanmedicine a similar scheme leads to reporting of only 10 % of suspected ADRs;there is also likely to be significant under reporting in veterinary medicine. Electronic health records (EHRs) held within computerised practice managementsystems (PMS) hold a huge amount of data on prescribed treatments andoutcomes for patients, including data regarding possible ADRs. Heather's work has the potential to change how suspected ADR's are reported andenhance the identification of ADR's. If you have any questions for Heather, pleaseemail H.H.Davies@liverpool.ac.uk.

What's Inside?

Fighting flystrike

Xylitol toxicity

Welcome Axiom andBattLab

PROTECT ME

Our paper published in the Vet

Record in 2017 described the

seasonality of chocolate

ingestion. Chocolate ingestion

has a unique seasonal pattern

especially in the run-up to

Christmas and Easter.

Remind your clients about the

risks of chocolate and what to do

in case of ingestion.

Easter andchocolate risk

Published research using SAVSNET data confirmed theclear seasonal pattern to flystrike in rabbits. Some caseswere recorded as early as April, but there was a peaknumber of cases recorded in the summer between Juneand August. We also showed that entire does were most atrisk. Where flystrike was recorded, 45% of rabbits werereported as being euthanised.

Now is a good time to raise awareness amongst rabbitowners, especially those of entire does, of the importanceof taking preventative measures against flystrike and whatto do if it is identified. To help, we have a poster which was funded by Dechra andRabbit Awareness Week 2018 which can be downloadedhere. We also have a summary infographic which can bedownloaded here which also contains a link to the fullpaper.  

Are yourclientsready tofightflystrike?

Happy Birthday SAVSNET

Treatments included emetics, some followed by anti-emetics, gastroprotectants, activated charcoal,intravenous fluids and intravenous glucose. Twelve casesreceived no treatment. Thankfully, there was no evidenceany of these cases died. Animal POISONLine has a poster which can bedownloaded displayed in veterinary practices to help raiseawareness.

Working with the Veterinary Poisons Information Servicewho provide Animal POISONLine, we used SAVSNET datato investigate xylitol toxicity after the well publicised caseof Ruby shown above, who sadly died after eating twohomemade chocolate brownies. The letter was publishedin the Veterinary Record and can be accessed here. We identified 26 cases of xylitol ingestion in dogs betweenMay 2015 and October 2018 with the majority of dogshaving eaten chewing gum.

Xylitoltoxicity  

Our publication listis available here

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We are pleased to announce that Axiom VeterinaryLaboratories Ltd and BattLab Ltd have agreed to joinSAVSNET and contribute laboratory data for researchand surveillance. The support of Axiom and BattLab willenhance SAVSNET's laboratory database and furthersupport important research of diseases recorded bylaboratories in the UK. Our current main focus is to usethese data to look at patterns of antimicrobial resistance.

Welcome Axiom and BattLab

Welcome Axiom and BattLabPebbles is one in a million!Pebbles the Border Collie became the one millionthdog to contribute data to SAVSNET.The million milestone was achieved thanks to theparticipation of YourVets24 Rayleigh, part of CVSwhich has been supporting SAVSNET since June lastyear. SAVSNET cannot identify individual animals or theirowners, but by providing the practice with the detailsof the visit, the practice team was able to ask theowner if they were willing to be involved in publicisingthe announcement. To celebrate, we sent somegoodies to the practice for Pebbles, her owner and thepractice team.

Pebbles is one in a million!

Posters, portals and PSSAll participating practices will soon receive packscontaining new practice materials which must bedisplayed under approval granted by the University ofLiverpool Ethics Committee and also to ensurecompliance with GDPR. Packs will be sent to the mainpractice site and materials will need to be sharedamongst branches. Please ensure the reception know to expect to receivethis pack and what to do with it. It will be sent byrecorded delivery. If your practice hasn't yet registered for your SAVSNETportal, instructions will be included. Don't forget to clamyour 40 points for the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme(PSS) for taking part in SAVSNET!

SAVSNET's free service, mySavsnet AMR, recommended in latestPROTECT ME guidelines

One of the greatest global health challengescurrently facing both doctors and veterinarysurgeons is antimicrobial resistance (AMR).The key driver of AMR development isantimicrobial use, and as such all prescribershave a collective responsibility to ensure thatantimicrobials are prescribed appropriately –this includes veterinary surgeons treatingcompanion animals. Here at SAVSNET we regularly describeantimicrobial prescription frequency andantimicrobial resistance prevalence in the UKcompanion animal population, and havebecome increasingly interested in how wecan use these insights to promote responsibleantimicrobial prescribing decisions in theveterinary practices we work with.Interestingly,we have also shown thatantimicrobial use is reducing, at least forgastrointestinal disease.

PROTECT ME

We have sent you our newsletter because you opted in to the mailing list.  If you would prefer to not receive our quarterly newsletteranymore, please contact us at savsnet@liverpool.ac.uk

We recently assisted with development of newantimicrobial prescribing guidance, led by theBritish Small Animal Veterinary Association(BSAVA ) and the Small Animal MedicineSociety (SAMSoc): the PROTECT ME guidance.The PROTECT ME guidance outlines necessityfor antimicrobial prescription for a range ofcommon canine and feline clinical conditions,and is based on latest available clinical evidence.PROTECT ME also recommends practices toMONITOR their antimicrobial prescription. Veterinary practices taking part in SAVSNETalready have access to an online secureanonymised free benchmarking website whichallows them to compare their antimicrobialprescription to other practices taking part inSAVSNET. Additionally, for those not yet able to take partin SAVSNET, we offer a further freeservice, mySavsnetAMR. We would encourageveterinary practitioners to view the newPROTECT ME guidance, and to further considerwhether antimicrobial prescriptionbenchmarking might have a place in yourpractice’s commitment to antimicrobialstewardship.

On behalf of the SAVSNET team, thank you for yourongoing support and interest in the work we do