35672 - Equine Internal Medicine and Therapy

Learning outcomes

The course is aimed at providing the students the knowledge and skills to appropriately accomplish clinical procedures and clinicopathological methods and to critically elaborate the obtained information for carrying out an accurate diagnosis or a complete differential list of diagnosis of horse disease susceptible of medical treatment. Additionally, the students will be able to choose an effective treatment for the diagnosed disorders.

 

Course contents

The course includes both academic lectures and practical classes (4x8h)
Lectures topics include:
Hematology and blood borne infectious diseases
Equine sports medicine and doping issue
Equine genetic diseases
Equine transfusion medicine and regenerative medicine
Neurological disease of horse
Equine Dermatology
Equine Cardiocirculatory diseases
Equine respiratory diseases
The role of vets in buying and selling horse
Equine clinical-pathology
Fluid therapy
Systemic syndromes in horse
Problem oriented approach (weight loss, poor performance)
Problem oriented approach (Cough, Hyperthermia, pu/pd, Edema)
Topics will include:
Cardiovascular examination and how to perform an electrocardiogram.
Respiratory examination, bronchoscopy, tracheal and bronchoalveolar wash, cytological evaluation of cytocentrifuged lavage fluids
Clinico-pathological methods in equine medicine
Fluid therapy in horse. A practical approach

Readings/Bibliography

Bradford P. Smith - Large Animal Internal Medicine, 4edition

Stephen M. Reed, , Warwick M. Bayly, Debra C. Sellon - Equine Internal Medicine, 3edition

Teaching methods

Lectures will be held in lectures room using slide presentations. Practical classes are held in visiting room or in laboratories. Lectures will be arranged according with two modalities: during the first part of the course classical lectures affording one topic at a time from the physiopathology through the diagnosis and finally to the therapy. In the last part of the course a problem oriented approach will be exploited to reorganize and recapitulate the information of the first part of the course.

Practical classes include four topics. Practical classes will be held in laboratory or in visiting rooms with animals. The students will be divided in four groups each one attending four different  2-hours practical classes.

The aims of the practical classes are 1) to gain professional skills in the examination of some body systems, as well as in ancillary methods and therapeutics 2) to favour the students ability to recognize, elaborate and integrate signs and symptoms as well as ancillary data to make a differential diagnosis list and a therapy.

During practical classes the teacher will exploit group working and problem solving as leading methods.

Assessment methods

The principal learning outcomes that will be assessed are:
-  knowledge of the most relevant diseases of horse susceptible of medical treatment and how to collect and analyse signs, symptoms and ancillary findings.
- ability to critically elaborate and integrate signalment, history, physical examination findings and clinicopathological data to make a diagnosis or to make a differential diagnosis list or a list of problems
 - ability to communicate, formulate judgements, have the learning skills to allow them to continue to study: the students are able to solve actual or simulated clinical cases, to effectively communicate with other students while working in group, to exploit all the resources available in the School to address the proposed issues.
The learning outcomes will be assessed through a final written examination which will be held together with the course of “Patologia, clinica e terapia chirurgica del cavallo”, through two “interim”written examinations and through four further examinations each one carried out at the end of the practical classes.
The final examination is composed by three parts: 1) solving of two simulated clinical cases (5 pts each), 2) multiple choice questions and open answer question and 3) free text of about 500 words addressing a particular topic for a total of 20 pts. The course is intended to be passed whenever a student attain at least 12 pts in the final examination. The pts obtained during the other examinations could be further added.
The examination of the end of practical classes are afforded in working group of 4-8 students and may alternatively include: the writing of a medical records, the formulation of a differential diagnosis list based upon e particular finding or list of problems, the performing of clinical or collateral procedures. Each student of the group will be attributed 0.5-1 pt whenever the assessment is passed. Each student have to gain at least 2 pts at the practical classes to attend the final examination.
The “interim” written examinations are optional and each gives at best 3 pts which are added to the final examination and practical classes scores.
The final score of the integrated course is weighted upon the number of ECTS of each course.

Teaching tools

During the course the teaching activities will be supported by: simulated or actual clinical cases, computer room, Portale Didattico Veterinario (PDV), animals visited at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, biological samples examined at the Clinico-Pathological lab

Office hours

See the website of Fabio Gentilini