Today's Veterinary Practice provides comprehensive information to keep every small animal practitioner up to date on companion animal medicine and surgery as well as practice building and management.
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20 VET REPORT VITALS VET REPORT VITALS The medical notes from a random sample of 500 RTI episodes were reviewed to obtain information on the dosage, frequency, and duration of antimicrobial use: 250 for which doxycycline was dispensed and 250 for which amoxicillin–clavulanate was dispensed. For doxycycline, 29% of reviewed prescriptions were concordant with the ISCAID recommended dosages, 100% with the recommended frequency, and 46% with the recommended duration. For amoxicillin–clavulanate, 6% of reviewed prescriptions were concordant with the ISCAID recommended dosage, 100% with the recommended frequency, and 51% with the recommended duration. CLINICAL BOTTOM LINE Antimicrobial usage data from 926 general-practice hospitals throughout the United States indicate that there is room for improved concordance with existing guidelines. Evidence suggests that low concordance may be driven by a lack of awareness of available resources. As such, strategies are needed to make the transition from publication of guidelines to incorporation of guidelines into practice. Upcoming VET Report Vitals articles will explore the implications of AMR for veterinary practitioners and discuss strategies for improving guideline concordance in daily practice. References 1. Jacob ME, Hoppin JA, Steers N, et al. Opinions of clinical veterinarians at a US veterinary teaching hospital regarding antimicrobial use and antimicrobial-resistant infections. JAVMA 2015;247:938-944. 2. AVMA Task Force for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Companion Animal Practice. Understanding companion animal practitioners' attitudes toward antimicrobial stewardship. JAVMA 2015;247:883-884. 3. Weese JS, Blondeau JM, Boothe D, et al. Antimicrobial use guidelines for treatment of urinary tract disease in dogs and cats: antimicrobial guidelines working group of the international society for companion animal infectious diseases. Vet Med Int 2011;2011. 4. Hillier A, Lloyd DH, Weese JS, et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and antimicrobial therapy of canine superficial bacterial folliculitis (Antimicrobial Guidelines Working Group of the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases). Vet Dermatol 2014;25:163-175, e142-163. 5. Lappin MR, Blondeau J, Boothe D, et al. Antimicrobial use Guidelines for Treatment of Respiratory Tract Disease in Dogs and Cats: Antimicrobial Guidelines Working Group of the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases. J Vet Intern Med 2017;31:279-294. 6. Banfield Pet Hospital/North American Veterinary Community. Veterinary Emerging Topics Report: Are We Doing Our Part to Prevent Superbugs? Antimicrobial Usage Patterns among Companion Animal Veterinarians. Portland, OR: Banfield Pet Hospital; 2016. Banfield has always been dedicated to using its extensive data to provide insights to the profession on topics that can improve veterinary care for pets. The first annual Banfield Veterinary Emerging Topics (VET) Report, supported by the collaborative educational efforts of the NAVC, focuses on a critical topic: antimicrobial resistance. It is titled "Are We Doing Our Part to Prevent Superbugs? Antimicrobial Usage Patterns Among Companion Animal Veterinarians." "We are proud to team up with the NAVC on the 2017 VET Report to raise awareness about the critical topic of antimicrobial resistance in companion animal practice and how veterinarians can address it in their own practices," said Dr. Karen Faunt, Vice President of Medical Quality Advancement at Banfield Pet Hospital. The full report is available at Banfield.com/VETReport or VetFolio.com/VETReport . Nathaniel Spofford, BA, MPH Nate Spofford is a Senior Research Specialist on Banfield's Applied Research & Knowledge (BARK) team. He received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Puget Sound and his master of public health degree from Portland State University. Before joining Banfield, Nate worked in clinical, behavioral, and public health research at Oregon Health & Science University. Nate is dedicated to conducting population-based research to support the practice of evidence-based medicine. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife Kenzin, daughter Madeleine, and cat Smallie. Molly McAllister, DVM, MPH Dr. Molly McAllister is the Director of Research for the Banfield Applied Research and Knowledge (BARK) team at Banfield Pet Hospital. She is a graduate of Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine and subsequently earned her master of public health degree from the University of Minnesota. Dr. McAllister is passionate about the role of preventive and proactive care in the health and quality of life of our pets, as well as the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health. She lives with her family and 4 pets in Vancouver, Washington, where they spend as much time outdoors as possible.