Radiographic tracheal dimensions in brachycephalic breeds before and after surgical treatment for brachycephalic airway syndrome.

The objective of this retrospective study was to compare preoperative and postoperative tracheal measurements in brachycephalic dogs undergoing surgical treatment of brachycephalic airway syndrome (BAS) using 2 radiographic methods (TD:TI and TT:3R). Medical records of 24 brachycephalic dogs with surgically corrected BAS were reviewed. Represented breeds included English bulldogs (n = 9), French bulldogs (n = 9), pugs (n = 5), and a Japanese chin (n = 1). Dogs with BAS that had postoperative thoracic radiographs ≤ 1 week after surgery showed no significant difference in the mean TD:TI ratios (P = 0.06) or mean TT:3R ratios (P = 0.19) when comparing preoperative to postoperative ratios. Dogs that had postoperative thoracic radiographs > 1 week after surgery showed no significant difference in the mean TD:TI ratios (P = 0.06) or mean TT:3R ratios (P = 0.32) when comparing preoperative to postoperative ratios. According to these findings, surgical correction for BAS does not resolve or improve tracheal hypoplasia in brachycephalic breeds.

L'objectif de cette étude rétrospective était de comparer les mesures trachéales préopératoire et postopératoire chez des chiens brachycéphales soumis à un traitement chirurgical pour le syndrome des voies respiratoires brachycéphales (BAS) en utilisant deux méthodes radiographiques (TD:TI et TT:3R). Les dossiers médicaux de 24 chiens brachycéphales avec un BAS corrigé chirurgicalement furent examinés. Les races représentées incluaient les bulldogs anglais (n = 9), les bulldogs français (n = 9), les carlins (n = 5) et l'épagneul japonais (n = 1). Les chiens avec BAS qui ont eu des radiographies thoraciques postopératoires ≤ 1 semaine après la chirurgie ne montraient aucune différence significative dans les ratios moyens TD:TI (P = 0,06) ou ratios moyens TT:3R (P = 0,19) lors de la comparaison des ratios préopératoire et postopératoire. Les chiens avec BAS qui ont eu des radiographies thoraciques postopératoires > 1 semaine après la chirurgie ne montraient aucune différence significative dans les ratios moyens TD:TI (P = 0,06) ou ratios moyens TT:3R (P = 0,32) lors de la comparaison des ratios préopératoire et postopératoire. En fonction de ces trouvailles, la correction chirurgicale pour le BAS ne résout pas ou n'améliore pas l'hypoplasie trachéale chez les races brachycéphales.(Traduit par Dr Serge Messier).

Investigation of burnout syndrome and job-related risk factors in veterinary technicians in specialty teaching hospitals: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate veterinary technician burnout and associations with frequency of self-reported medical error, resilience, and depression and job-related risk factors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study using an anonymous survey conducted between November 2017 and June 2018. SETTING: Four referral teaching hospitals in the United States and Canada. SUBJECTS: A total of 344 veterinary technicians were invited to participate. Response rate was 95%. Overall 256 surveys were ultimately analyzed. INTERVENTIONS: Burnout, depression, and resilience were measured using validated instruments. Respondents reported perceptions of workload, working environment, and medical error frequency. Associations between burnout and factors related to physical work environment, workload and schedule, compensation package, interpersonal relationships, intellectual enrichment, and exposure to ethical conflicts were analyzed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Burnout, characterized by high emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low sense of personal accomplishment was common, and was positively associated with perceived medical errors, desire to change career, and depression. Burnout levels on all 3 burnout subscales were higher in this population than previously reported for a contemporaneous group of trauma nurses working with human patients (P < 0.05). Burnout was negatively associated with resilience. Respondents' feelings of fear or anxiety around supervisor communications, perception that patient load was too high to allow for excellent patient care, and perceived lack of available assistance during sudden workload increases were all associated with burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Burnout in veterinary technicians is common and is associated with numerous undesirable outcomes. Work-related interventions to reduce burnout should focus on improving supervisor relationships and maintaining an appropriate patient:caregiver ratio.