Multi-level impact of continuing professional development on Sri Lanka’s veterinary sector

Abstract

Background: The hormones insulin and adiponectin are commonly measured in equids because of their involvement in endocrinopathic laminitis. These are currently measured in serum/plasma, although jugular venipuncture can cause stress in some animals and may be impossible in needle-shy individuals. However, both hormones can be measured in saliva in other species.Objectives: To determine whether [insulin] and [total adiponectin] are detectable in equine saliva using automated assays and whether saliva collection is associated with changes in stress indicators. Additionally, the correlation between serum and salivary[insulin] was investigated. Study design: In vivo experiment.Methods: Paired blood and saliva samples were collected from eight adult ponies at multiple time-points (n = 45 paired samples). [Insulin] and [total adiponectin] were measured using automated assays validated for equine serum/plasma. Blink rates and heart rates were determined, using video recordings and a wearable heart rate monitor respectively, to assess the effects of sample collection on stress indicators compared with a control situation without a stressful stimulus.Results: [Total adiponectin] was undetectable in saliva. However, salivary [insulin] was measurable with acceptable inter-assay (1.3 ± 0.9%) and intra-assay (1.1 ± 0.6%) variability. Blink and heart rates during saliva collection did not differ significantly from those in the control setting. Serum and salivary [insulin] were not significantly correlated.Main limitations: Small sample size comprising native UK ponies; potential sampling bias as animals were recruited to the study partly based on their behaviour during blood sampling; saliva collected from unfasted animals.Conclusions: Insulin is measurable in equine saliva using an automated assay currently available in the UK, but further validation and the determination of specific diagnostic thresholds are required. Saliva collection was not associated with changes in stress indicators. Further research is therefore needed to determine the potential of equine saliva as a non-invasive alternative to blood for insulin determination.

Online and Distance Education for a Connected World

“…These impacts translated to societal impacts including disseminating understanding of the One Health concept, improving animal welfare laws and assisting the development of the undergraduate veterinary curriculum. The graduates from these distance learning programmes are experts at the centre of a new community of practice and have the ability to inspire future generations of Sri Lankan veterinary surgeons (Kinnison et al, 2020).…”

Continuing professional development for veterinarians in a changing world

“…Although interactive, face-to-face workshops, based on hands-on practice, are considered more effective in CPD delivery, distance learning has been evaluated as a satisfactory method of learning for health professions (29), offering the opportunity to access training materials from different countries and allowing more flexibility. The benefits of veterinary CPD distance learning have been recognised at both the personal and societal level (30). There is a wealth of information available to support self-study, accessed by online search engines.…”