69933 - Semeiotics and Surgical Pathology of Companion Animals

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Moduli: Simona Valentini (Modulo 1) Giuseppe Spinella (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Single cycle degree programme (LMCU) in Veterinary Medicine (cod. 8617)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student should know the pathogenesis, development and prognosis of surgical pathologies. Moreover, he should know the clinical methodology and semiotic topics useful for the recognition and interpretation of different clinical manifestations in case of surgical diseases of companion animals. Finally, the student should know how to certify what clinically detected in the patient using appropriate terminology, choose the procedures to be followed to switch from differential diagnosis to the definitive diagnosis and communicate with colleagues and owners relatively to the clinical case and the diagnostic protocol followed. 

Course contents

Prerequisites:
The student should already knows anatomical and functional bases of the different organs and systems, as well as' those of pathological processes, acquired through the study of general pathology. Also, he knows how to carry out a clinical examination. The student should have the knowledge and understading of the spoken and written English language in oreder to be able to read and understand the slides that the teacher may use and abstracts of publications, textbooks and handbooks.

The log of the propedeuticts courses is detailed in the webpage https://corsi.unibo.it/magistralecu/MedicinaVeterinaria/propedeuticita

Semeiotics and Surgical Pathology of Companion Animals guarantees the student a specific training to adequately address the course of Veterinary Clinical Surgery and Orthopedics.
In particular, the course aims to provide the knowledge necessary to perform clinical examination of companion animals and to come to a diagnosis

The course is aimed to provide the student with the cultural and operative tools to perform a thorough and complete clinical examination focused to assess the health status of an animal.

The course of Semeiotics and Surgical Medicine of Small Animals provides the student with specific training to adequately attend the course of Veterinary Clinical Surgery and Orthopedics.

The course is divided into the following main topics:
· Fundamentals of clinical methodology: history taking and symptom assessment.
· Fundamental pathological processes:
· Pathological processes of organs and systems: etiology and symptoms of the main diseases of surgical interest charged to the digestive, urinary tract, respiratory system, skin system, sense organs. Different diagnostic procedures are described in order to choice of a specific diagnostic protocol.

Syllabus is uploaded in the web site https://corsi.unibo.it/magistralecu/MedicinaVeterinaria/syllabi-quarto-anno

At the end of the course the student is able to:

  • properly collect the data related to the main surgical lesions and pathologies
  • understand etiopathogenetic processes and analize them

  • recognize, appreciate and collect the clinical signs

  • certify as clinically detected in the patient using appropriate terminology

  • decide the procedures to be followed to switch from differential diagnosis to the definitive diagnosis

  • communicate with colleagues and owners relatively to the clinical case and the diagnostic protocol followed

  • solve the proposed problems through the exposition to clinical cases;

  • communicate and share with the other students and with the tutor her/his own inferences;

  • utilize complementary resources available In Situ (Portale Didattico Veterinario, web-search systems and similars) to solve the proposed problems.


Readings/Bibliography

The teaching material consists of the suggested textbooks (see below) and of the material inserted on the specific course website

Specifically, the suggested textbooks are:

D.Slatter: TRATTATO DI CHIRURGIA DEI PICCOLI ANIMALI – DELFINO ed., 2005

M.J. Bojrab : LE BASI PATOGENETICHE DELLE MALATTIE CHIRURGICHE NEI PICCOLI ANIMALI –Giraldi ed., 2001

K.M. Tobias, S.A.Johnston: Veterinary surgery - Small animal. Elseviever Saunders ed., 2012

Micheletto B.: Patologia chirurgica veterinaria e podologia , UTET 1980

Valentini S.: Introduzione alla semeiotica chirurgica, Cristiano Giraldi ed. 2000

Please note that course notes are just a way of integrating the textbooks and not to replace them.

During the course, texts or articles that could be functional to understanding the topic will be suggested to students.

Teaching methods

  1. Academic lessons
    The frontal lessons provide close interaction between the teacher and students and are organized in order to better represent the situation in which the veterinary surgeon finds himself in the profession. Normally, the course is held in presence. In case of necessity, due to the persistence of the threat of COVID-19, academic and practical lessons could be held on line, partially or totally.
    In detail, the lectures are devoted to defining the pathological processes, identify the etiology and set the clinical approach to a patient using the in-depth description of the items hereunder reported:

  • Collection of signalement and anamnesis

  • General physical examination (EOG)

  • Physical examination of the different specific systems (EOP)

  • Identification of diagnostic techniques

  • Setting up a differential diagnosis

    Supervised pratical training
    Practical lessons are held dividing the students in four groups. The same hour of practical lesson is provided for each major group. For access to the exercise room (if this is different from computer labs) it is mandatory to wear a gown. When necessary, will also be provided PPIs suitable for carrying out specific activities (such as single-use gloves).
    The goal of the practical lessons are:
    • Allow a correct logical-deductive approach in the surgical case management.
    • facilitate the acquisition of skills' processing and synthesis
    • facilitate the acquisition of skills' communication and teamwork

Practical lessons include a "problem solving"  activity and   involve the possibility that the student works autonomously in order to  promote active learning processes.

Assessment methods

The final exam has the objective to evaluate the achievement of the main learning outcomes:

  • Knowledge and definition of pathological processes of surgical interest and relative etiopathology

  • Identification and analisys of symptoms

  • Knowledge of the phases of a diagnostic procedure (EOG, EOP, diagnostic techniques)

    contextualized to the problem

  • Ability to reprocess the data obtained and to use them for written or verbal communications

The exam will focus on the topics related to the syllabus of the last year.

It's considered extremely important that the candidate has the knowledge of the relevant information acquired in the previous teaching courses (prerequisites), and specifically those pertaining the physiological function of the different systems of the body, as well as those related with the principal physiopathological mechanisms of dysfunction.

During the exam is not allowed the use of any support material, such as textbooks, nots, notebooks and other electronic devices

The final mark of the integrated teaching course " SEMEIOTICA, PATOLOGIA CHIRURGICA, ANESTESIOLOGIA E MEDICINA OPERATORIA VETERINARIA " results from the mean of the marks obtained in the final evaluations of the single different parts that comprise the teaching course.

Teacher recording the Integrate Course: Prof.ssa Monika Joechler

The evaluation of the student for the teaching course SEMEIOTICA E PATOLOGIA CHIRURGICA DEGLI ANIMALI DA COMPAGNIA consists of one single exam , divided into a written and an oral part, both to be performed in the same time ( in the same exam session).

The written part consists of multiple-choice questions, questions "fill the gap", questions "true or false", “open” questions. Time available: 1 hour.
The purpose of the written part is to verify the proper learning the terminology and the etiology of the disease processes, as well as any technical data or classifying criteria. It is considered passed when the minimum score value (18/30)is reached.

A negative result in the written test does not allow to sit the oral test.

The oral part is aimed to verify the acquisition of the knowledge required as detailed in the objectives of the course : this part of the exam is passed when the candidate is able to correctly answer a maximum of two main questions concerning the topics discussed during the course. The evaluation of the candidate may include other minor questions related to the topics of the two main questions.

The final mark will include the written and oral assessment.

Particular attention is made to the student's ability to reason and to cross-link the information given in the course with those acquired by different teaching in previous years.

Registration and examination dates: the student can register exclusively using the online Alma Esami system (https://almaesami.unibo.it)

In emergency events, the assessment procedures may undergo changes which will be communicated to students before the date of the test. In case of impossibility to perform the assessment in presence according to the above described modalities, it will be replaced by an oral assessment, to be performed online. The assessment methods may include the use of images/videos .

Teaching tools

Clinical cases (real and/or recorded) , computer room, Portale Didattico Veterinario (PDV), material and structures of the Teaching Hospital.

Academic lessons use powerpoint (PP) presentations  which, in the PDF version are downloadable by students through IOL.unibo.it.

Please note that PP presentations are just a way of integrating the textbooks and not to replace them.

 

Office hours

See the website of Simona Valentini

See the website of Giuseppe Spinella