ADN121 – Advance15 Rapid in House Microscopic Checks

Learn in your own time with this fully flexible Advance15TM Course.

Get the most from your practice lab with this interactive online course. Using a microscope well can provide rapid and clinically vital information.  This gives you a head start for which further tests to choose and what therapy to consider.

During the course we’ll  focus on quick and reliable checks to fit into your standard procedures when analysing your daily cases.  This will give you accurate results and help you to recognise artifacts, so diseases can be confidently diagnosed and monitored in house.

Use your new knowledge and skills straight away in your practice to get timely diagnostic information on your patients.

Revisit your course materials at any time during your 12 months’ access to refresh your knowledge whenever you have a relevant patient. Complete the course and get your CPD / CE Certificate for 15 Hours of learning.

Session 1: Haematology: Analyser & Smear Introduction

In the first session we will outline how haematology analysers work and where they can often go wrong when measuring and counting. This will involve starting to use graphical clues to complement the analyser’s numerical data, showing what it can miss or mis-classify.

In session 2 we will move onto consistently making a good fresh smear to check for normal cell morphology and validate the numbers from the analyser, filling in the blanks for a full haematology or seeing atypical cells that need specialist review or additional testing.

Session 2: Cytology: Skin and preparation

This week will focus on the skin and common diseases that are readily identified here, both via stained microscopy and unstained preparations, including skin scrapes.

In the first session we will crucially look at proper sampling and preparation, both staining and smearing. Only after this can we identify infection and some common growths we will encounter. We will move onto address rapid screening of samples when under anaesthesia, or if sending away, to ensure they are likely to be diagnostic. This will lead into skin scrapes and impressions, where again good sampling technique will reliably detect parasites and other agents seen in skin diseases to allow their accurate identification for specific therapy.

Session 3: Cytology: Fluids and Analysis

Fluid samples need specific handling and examination so their smears can be used to guide further investigations and diagnose diseases. In the first session, we will look at analysing the various fluids and lavages consistently and accurately, via an analyser, manually and also microscopically.

In the second session, we will move onto some specific types to identify inflammation and infection to guide if surgical intervention versus medical therapy is required. These sessions be simplified and stepwise in their approach so that rapid intervention can be started solo even if awaiting other results and investigations.

Session 4: Urinary Microscopy

In this last week we are focussing on urinary analysis, which can be overlooked but is necessary to complete our patients’ minimum data set, as well as diagnose specific diseases. We will start with routine sampling interference and factors that alter our biochemical analysis and then in the last session, focus on standardising urine microscopy, so accurate diagnosis and monitoring can be reliably achieved without the risk of misleading in vitro artifact. Microscopy will again include both fresh wet prep and complementary dried stained material, as appropriate for the case and disease.

What do Veterinary Nurses Say About this Course?

‘Very detailed, good visual aids and love that notes come as a PDF to go through along with the lecturer. Loved the PDF notes. You can go through them during the course and add extras or highlight important bits’

‘This course has vastly exceeded expectations. RP has been so generous with his time in responding to questions on the forum. Rather than a 2 line response, I have had very detailed, illuminating replies to even the most basic of queries. These have been delivered with amazing expertise and humour when appropriate. I have been able to change practice protocols and enlighten the vets about procedures, particularly in the processing of urine samples. This can only improve the service we offer to clients.’

‘I have found this course very informative and useful. I have found the microscope information very useful, especially the pictures of the cells and their morphology changes. I will be able to use this as a tool to help me improve my skills and knowledge in lab.’

‘Enjoyed the course and its content. Able to access the lectures at a time that was convenient for me between family and work. Really good course notes.’

Tutor

Roger Powell VetMB MA DipACVP DipRCPath MRCVS

Any Questions? Call us now on 0151 328 0444