Consensus Statements of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) provide the veterinary community with up-to-date information on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of clinically important animal diseases.
The ACVIM Board of Regents oversees selection of relevant topics, identification of panel members with the expertise to draft the statements, and other aspects of assuring the integrity of the process. The statements are derived from evidence-based medicine whenever possible and the panel offers interpretive comments when such evidence is inadequate or contradictory. A draft is prepared by the panel, followed by solicitation of input by the ACVIM membership which may be incorporated into the statement. It is then submitted to the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, where it is edited prior to publication. The authors are solely responsible for the content of the statements.
If you have a topic selection for a consensus statement, share with us. Suggestions will be reviewed each January.
ACVIM Consensus Statement Webinar: Emergency Seizure Disorders
A panel of 5 neurology experts in the field was formed to assess and summarize evidence in the peer reviewed literature regarding the management of emergency seizure disorders, i.e., status epilepticus and cluster seizures, in dogs and cats. The evidence was complemented with consensus clinical recommendations. Evidence from basic research studies on animals and human medicine was also used to support the panel´s recommendations, especially for the interventions where veterinary clinical evidence was lacking. The majority of the evidence was on the first-line management, i.e., benzodiazepines and their various administration routes, in both species. Overall, there was little evidence on the management of emergency seizure disorders in cats in contrast to dogs. This webinar summarizes the findings of the consensus group.
By the end of your webinar, attendees will be able to:
Marios Charalambous, DVM, PgC, PgD, CSci, PhD, DACVIM (Neurology), DECVN, FHEA, MRCVS – Clinical and Research Associate, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
Dr Charalambous is an American and EBVS European recognized specialist in veterinary neurology. Dr Charalambous completed his small animal internship at Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital at the University of Cambridge, UK, and his ACVIM and ECVN approved residency in neurology at Ghent University, Belgium. Dr Charalambous also completed a Ph.D. at Ghent University where he focused on investigating novel therapies for seizure disorders. Dr Charalambous participated in multiple training and educational programs hold by universities and organizations within the UK and USA. He has been also recognized as a chartered scientist by the science council and as a fellow of the higher education academy. He was the past representative of the European society of veterinary neurology (ESVN). Dr Charalambous has published numerous articles on neurology with focus on the treatment of seizure disorders and he is currently in the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany, leading various research projects and clinical trials in veterinary neurology and epilepsy.
Karen Muñana, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Neurology) – Professor, North Carolina State University
Dr. Muñana received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and attended veterinary school at the University of California at Davis. She went on to complete a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Kansas State University and a residency training program in Neurology and Neurosurgery at Colorado State University. She joined the faculty of North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1994, where she currently holds the rank of Professor of Neurology. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, subspecialty of Neurology. Dr. Muñana has authored over 100 papers and book chapters on topics pertaining to veterinary neurology and has been an invited speaker at national and international veterinary meetings. She is the co-editor of the veterinary textbook “A practical guide to seizure disorders in dogs and cats”. Dr. Muñana’s research interest is canine epilepsy, with a focus on performing clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of novel anti-seizure therapies and understand why some dogs respond poorly to treatment.
Ned Patterson, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM) – Professor, Internal Medicine, University of Minnesota
Dr. Patterson is a Professor of Medicine and Genetics at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine where he has been on the staff and faculty for 27years. He is board certified in small internal medicine and he has a once-a-week dog and cat seizure epilepsy clinic at the Veterinary Medical Center. He is director of graduate studies for one of the college’s graduate programs, and he teaches students in the classroom and does research in the areas of canine genetics, and canine and human epilepsy. For 10 years he was one of the scientific organizing members of the biannual International Conferences on Canine and Feline Genetics. He was a member of the International Veterinary Epilepsy Taskforce (IVEFT). He has been funded for canine epilepsy research by NIH, Animal Foundations, and breed groups, and has published 39 manuscripts regarding canine epilepsy including as one of the co-authors of 8 consensus statements on companion animal epilepsy for the IVEFT.
Simon R. Platt, BVM&S, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology), Diplomate ECVN, FRCVS
RCVS & EBVS - Co-Head Vetoracle Teleneurology Service, Medical Director, Hallmarq Advanced Veterinary Imaging
Dr. Platt qualified from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1992; he was then an intern at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph and completed a residency in neurology and neurosurgery in 1998 at the University of Florida. Dr. Platt was a professor of neurology and neurosurgery at the University of Georgia until 2022 and now co-leads the teleneurology team at VetOracle as well as being the Medical Director for Hallmarq Advanced Veterinary Imaging. Dr. Platt has authored or co-authored over 200 journal articles and 50 book chapters and is the co-editor of the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Neurology and the Manual of Small Animal Neurological Emergencies. Dr. Platt is Past-President of the ACVIM Neurology Specialty, Past chief examiner for the ECVN and Founder member of the South Eastern Veterinary Neurology (SEVEN) group in the USA. Currently, Simon also serves as Editor in Chief of the NAVC journal Today’s Veterinary Practice. Dr. Platt was made a fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2018 for meritorious contributions to the veterinary profession.
Holger A. Volk DVM, PGCAP, PhD, DipECVN, FHEA, FRCVS
Professor, Small Animal Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover
Dr. Volk is currently Professor of Small Animal Diseases and the Head of Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Honorary Professor of Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery, Royal Veterinary College, London and Affiliate Professor of Veterinary Neurology, University of Copenhagen. He graduated from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover in 2001, where he also did his PhD in Neuropharmacology studying basic mechanisms of drug-resistant epilepsy. He then completed his specialist clinical education doing an internship and a residency in Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). Holger is internationally known for his work in the field of SARS-CoV-2 Medical Scent Detection Dogs, neuropathic pain and epilepsy.
Jill Narak, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Neurology) – Neurologist/Neurosurgeon, Huntsville Veterinary Specialists & Emergency
All feedback received during the live, virtual Consensus Statement Webinar is appreciated and considered as meaningful contribution towards the panel’s final recommendation for best practice in approaching Emergency Seizure Disorders. Thank you for sharing your experience and feedback!
Consensus Statements of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) provide the veterinary community with up-to-date information on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of clinically important animal diseases.
This Consensus Statement is focused on assessing and summarizing evidence in the peer reviewed literature regarding the management of emergency seizure disorders, i.e., status epilepticus and cluster seizures, in dogs and cats.
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