35677 - Necropsy Techniques and Post Mortem Diagnosis

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the module, students will have acquired knowledge of necropsy techniques, anatomical pathology diagnostic methods, and sampling and laboratory investigation procedures used to determine the cause of death in animals. They will also be able to formulate an integrated pathological interpretation (epicrisis) of necropsy findings.

Course contents

The module si part of the intgrated course of PROFESSIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING IN VETERINARY PATHOLOGY(CFU: 7) with wich it shares common learining outcomes.

At the end of the Integrated Course (C.I) of Practice in Pathology and Transmissible Diseases

• the student knows the necropsy techniques and the anatomic pathology diagnostic methods and is able to apply them in order to recognize the cause of a disease or death of an animal. The student is able to achieve a post-mortem diagnosis, complete a post-mortem report and understand the general principles of interpretation and reporting of microscopic changes.
• the student is able to manage parasites (including zoonotic agents) in animals (hosts) by applying basic diagnostic tools for the recognition of parasites and the clinical forms in companion animals, in the context of animal production and food safety, and by evaluating the consequences of the host / parasite / environment relationship for a rational management of parasites.
• He is able to evaluate the welfare and biosecurity aspects of bovine / ovine-caprine farms; is able to evaluate the management and structural aspects of kennels and shelters; is able to propose corrective actions and improvement interventions in shelters and kennels

The Integrated Course “PROFESSIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING IN VETERINARY PATHOLOGY(CFU: 7)” contributes to the achievement of the following ESEVT Day One Competences:

• 1.10 Understand and apply principles of One Health to ensure veterinary Good Clinical Practice, and research-based and evidence-based veterinary medicine.
• 1.22 Collect, preserve and transport samples, select appropriate diagnostic tests, interpret and understand the limitations of the test results. The student correctly collects a sample for cytology and is able to differentiate main cytological patterns
• 1.25 Recognise signs of possible notifiable, reportable and zoonotic diseases as well as abuse of animals and take appropriate action, including notifying the relevant authorities.
• 1.29 Recommend and evaluate protocols for biosecurity, and apply these principles correctly
• 1.34 Perform necropsy in all common animal species, including sampling, dispatching and reporting.
• 1.35 Perform ante-mortem inspection of food-producing animals including paying attention to welfare aspects, systematic gross post-mortem examination, record observations, sample tissues, store and transport them.

SPECIFIC PREREQUISITES FOR THIS COURSE

To facilitate learning of the topics covered in this course, students are expected to have acquired specific knowledge in the following areas: veterinary anatomy, veterinary pathology, and infectious diseases.

COURSE CONTENT

• Definition, objectives, and limitations of necropsy. Thanatology. Veterinary forensic medicine: the medico-legal examination (1 hour)
• Necropsy instrumentation. Principles of biosafety in necropsy procedures and the relevant regulatory framework. Management of animal carcasses following necropsy and the applicable legislation (1 hour)
• Complete necropsy of domestic animal species—dog, cat, horse, ruminants, and pig (4 hours of lectures, 12 hours of practical sessions), including:
  • Animal identification (signalment) and clinical history (anamnesis)
  • Completion of the animal submission form
  • Preparation, external examination, skinning, and examination of the subcutaneous tissues
  • Opening and examination of the following anatomical regions: abdominal cavity, thoracic cavity, pelvis, head and neck, nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses, vertebral canal, and bones
  • Removal of the viscera and examination of individual organs
  • Description and pathological interpretation of lesions and formulation of the pathological summary (epicrisis)
• Necropsy report and diagnostic workflow. Preparation of a necropsy report (2 hours)
• Comparative considerations related to species- and breed-specific anatomical characteristics (2 hours)
• Ancillary laboratory investigations. Techniques for collection, sampling, preservation, and submission of tissues and biological specimens for histological, cytological, bacteriological, and toxicological examinations (2 hours of lectures, 4 hours of practical sessions)

Readings/Bibliography

Teaching material will be available on the course website on virtuale.unibo.it

Suggested reading:

• Petterino C. e coll., Manuale di Tecnica delle Autopsie e di Diagnostica Anatomo-Patologica Veterinaria . Editrice Estense-Giraldi, Bologna, 2003.

• Taccini E., Rossi G., Gili C., Tecnica Autoptica e Diagnostica Cadaverica . Poletto Editore, Milano, 2006.
• J.King. The necropsy book. 7th. CL Davis Foundation. Ed. https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/3794

Teaching methods

Lectures will be delivered with supporting ppt presentations and7or videos.

Practical classes: during these sessions the students will perform post-mortem examinations either individually or in small groups. use of PPE is compulsory.

Assessment methods

The exam consists of a practical test (about 30 min),followed by an oral exam.

a) Practical exam

The purpose of the practical exam is to assess the manual skills of the student. The student performs a complete necropsy or part of a necropsy. He is able to use the appropriate instruments, the personal protective equipment, how to examine single organs and systems, how to collect samples and how to finalize a diagnosis and be able to write a post-mortem report.

b) Oral exam

The purpose of the oral examination is to assess the student's ability to apply their knowledge, their critical thinking, problem solving ability. The student is able to: describe, recognize and interpret the anatomo-pathological lesions, recognize the post-mortem changes, is able to perform differential diagnosis showing their critical thinking, suggest further tests to reach a final diagnosis, and has an understanding of the cytological-histological methods, is able to communicate with appropriate terminology.

At the end of both the practical and oral exam the student will be evaluated as follows:

• Failure to demonstrate core procedural competencies, inability to interpret findings, incorrect terminology (FAIL)
• Basic procedural skills, appropriate interpretation of lesions to reach a logic conclusion, minor inconsistencies, appropriate specific terminology (18-22)
• Confident manual skills, correct and independent interpretation of lesions, critical analysis of findings, appropriate specific terminology (23-26)
• Proficient across core manual skills, correct and independent interpretation of lesions, critical analysis of findings, problem solving ability, appropriate terminology (27-29)
• Proficient across all manual skills, correct interpretation of lesions, critical analysis of findings, independent thought, problem solving ability, appropriate terminology and confident communication skills (30-30L)

Passing this module will allow to access to the next module: Tirocinio di Anatomia Patologica, of the integrated course, PROFESSIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING IN VETERINARY PATHOLOGY (CFU: 7)

The teacher that will register the final mark is Prof. Barbara Bacci.The final mark will correspond to the mark obtained in the Necropsy techniques (35677) module.

Teaching tools

Power point presentations, class quizzes, discussion of images of macroscopic lesions from the veterinary teaching portal and other sources.

In case of difficulty understanding the course content, the instructor is available for clarification meetings, which must be scheduled via email.

Office hours

See the website of Barbara Bacci