AR-News: Cat experiments - please send an email

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From: animal-life at yahoogroups.com 

Cat experiments - please send an email 
Date: 4/14/04 1:21:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time 
From:    vinpost1 at hotmail.com (- V I N -) 
Reply-to: vivisectionkills at hotmail.com 




Greetings to Supporters of Citizens for Humane Medicine, 

Following is an update about the April 13 training exercise conducted by the 
University of Virginia School of Medicine's Perinatal Continuing Education 
Program (PCEP) for nurses and physicians at Stonewall Jackson Hospital in 
Lexington, Virginia. Though UVA received many requests to use simulators to 
practice 
endotracheal intubations in this exercise, UVA proceeded with its plans to 
use 
cats. 

The following topics are covered in this action alert: 

1. Correction--Cats Are Not Euthanized After UVA's PCEP Exercises 
2. Cats Are Inappropriate Training Models Because of Anatomical And Tissue 
Differences 
3. Humane Alternatives Are Readily Available And Reasonably Priced 
4. Ask UVA To Use Humane Alternatives 
5. Who To Contact 

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 

CORRECTION--CATS ARE NOT EUTHANIZED AFTER UVA'S PCEP EXERCISES 
Citizens for Humane Medicine would like to correct its April 9 action alert 
in which we asserted that the cats used in UVA's PCEP exercises are 
euthanized. 
We have since learned that the cats are not killed. Instead, they are 
anesthetized for the PCEP procedures and returned to their cages afterward 
so they 
can be used for future training exercises. We regret the dissemination of 
inaccurate information. We relied upon secondary sources after unsuccessful 
attempts 
to learn details about these intubation exercises directly from UVA. 

We understand from UVA that it will continue to use cats in PCEP exercises. 

We should mention that the cats used in these exercises spend most of their 
lives in a research environment, which is stressful and almost totally 
devoid 
of stimulation and affection. In addition, the cats are subjected to 
possibly 
frightening and painful procedures, all of which are unnecessary because 
humane 
alternatives exist. 

CATS ARE INAPPROPRIATE TRAINING MODELS BECAUSE OF ANATOMICAL AND TISSUE 
DIFFERENCES 
The following passages from an April 9 letter sent by the Washington, 
D.C.-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to Stonewall 
Jackson 
Hospital explain why cats are inappropriate training models for endotracheal 
intubation. 

"There is a reason why most medical centers do not use animals for 
intubation 
and other surgical training. Many critical aspects, most importantly the 
size 
and placement of internal organs and location of arteries and nerves, are 
different in cats and humans. As you know, a cat has a larger and broader 
epiglottis, a larger tongue, more copious saliva, a smaller anterior larynx, 
and 
different arytenoid cartilage than a human infant. Further, when there is a 
medical necessity for intubation, a cat is properly intubated while lying on 
the 
stomach while a human is intubated while lying on the back. Therefore, 
practice 
on nonhuman animals is not appropriate training for medical professionals 
requiring skills in emergency situations. 

". . . Animal laboratories provide a poor simulation of real-life trauma 
situations, and surgical technique for human procedures cannot be learned 
properly 
on a nonhuman animal because of differences in biology . . . . 

". . . Both instructors and students alike rate intubation manikins highly 
and are pleased with the learning experience . . . ." 

HUMANE ALTERNATIVES ARE READILY AVAILABLE AND REASONABLY PRICED 
Several readily available and reasonably priced simulators for perinatal 
endotracheal intubation exist. Among the more widely used are the following: 

1. PEDI Airway Trainer Newborn by Gaumard Scientific Company--priced from 
$495 to $595 

2. BabyCode by Medical Plastics Laboratory--prices start at $550 

3. Baby Airin by Laerdal Medical--prices start at $395 

Also, an October 31, 2001, article entitled "Everything I Ever Needed To 
Know 
About Babies I Learned On A Simulator" from Stanford University's the 
"Stanford Report" can be read online at the following web address: 

http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2001/october31/simulator.html 

ASK UVA TO USE HUMANE ALTERNATIVES 
UVA should follow the example of institutions around the world that use 
humane alternatives in their intubation training. Please ask UVA to switch 
to these 
alternatives. Use your own words in giving the following reasons that 
nonanimal alternatives are preferable: 

1. Practicing intubations on cats is not appropriate training for medical 
professionals because the anatomical and tissue characteristics of cats and 
humans are so different. 

2. Manikins are reasonably priced and last for many years. 

3. Manikins allow students to practice intubations an unlimited number of 
times. 

4. Live animals can suffer tracheolaryngeal bruising, bleeding, scarring, 
severe pain, and a chronic cough even when properly anesthetized. 

5. Live animals are often repeatedly intubated in a single session by more 
than one student, increasing the chances of injury. 

6. Improperly anesthetized animals can and often do suffer at the hands of 
inexperienced students during intubation training. In some cases, animals 
die 
from being improperly intubated. 

7. Medical training should not desensitize students to suffering but should 
instead emphasize respect for all life. 

It would also be helpful if you ask UVA how long it keeps the cats before 
retiring them and how many and what kinds of procedures, in addition to the 
PCEP 
exercises, are performed on the cats. 

WHO TO CONTACT 
Contact the following people at UVA and at Stonewall Jackson Hospital: 

ARTHUR GARSON, M.D., M.P.H. 
Dean, University of Virginia School of Medicine 
P.O. Box 800793 
Charlottesville, VA 22908 
Phone: 434-924-5118 
E-Mail: garson at virginia.edu 

JOHN KATTWINKEL, M.D. 
University of Virginia Health System 
P.O. Box 800386 
Charlottesville, VA 22908 
Phone: 434-924-5428 
Fax: 434-924-2816 
E-Mail: jk3f at virginia.edu 

GARY SWINK, C.E.O. 
Stonewall Jackson Hospital 
1 Health Circle 
Lexington, VA 24450-2448 
Phone: 540-458-3501 
Fax: 540-458-3504 
E-Mail: crassist at sjhospital.com 

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of the animals. 

Citizens for Humane Medicine 
Charlottesville, Virginia 
E-Mail: HumaneMedicine at aol.com 




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