Page 5 - Clinical Connections - Summer 2024
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Transfusion medicine

        BLOOD DONOR CAT SAVED BY OWN
        DONATION


        Karen Humm, Associate Professor in Transfusion Medicine and Emergency and Critical Care,
        Charlotte Russo, Head Transfusion Medicine RVN
              cat, whose donations had previously
              helped  numerous  RVC  patients,
        A helped to save his own life when he
        was treated with his own plasma, from blood
        he had donated years before.
          Leo, a gorgeous 12-year-old tabby Maine
        Coon, had been noticed to be sleeping more
        than usual and not eating as well as usual
        by his owner. This led to an appointment at
        his usual vet practice and then a referral to
        RVC Small Animal Referrals. It was a place
        Leo and his owner knew well from his blood
        donations, but it was a new experience to
        come as a patient.
          He  was  assessed  and  the  Emergency
        Referrals  team  found  fluid  in  Leo’s  chest
        surrounding  his  lungs.  This  was  impairing   Ella presented with congestive heart failure
        Leo’s  ability  to  breathe  effectively  so  the
        team immediately drained the fluid.
          A  quick  analysis  of  the  fluid  showed
        it  was  pus  and  so  Leo  was  placed  in  an
        oxygen kennel and started on intravenous   Leo having an ultrasound
        antibiotics. He was transferred into the ICU
        under  the  care  of  the  Critical  Care  team,   enough to produce new red cells and had   Leo’s contributions to patient treatment
        drains were placed into his chest allowing   had  some  blood  loss  during  surgery  and   Leo joined the RVC Blood Donor Programme
        regular  flushing  and  draining  of  his  chest   frequent  blood  sampling  to  monitor  his   in 2014, along with his brothers Bertie and
        cavity.                             progression. This meant he was struggling   Dicky. They donated blood 37 times, helping
                                            to deliver enough oxygen to his tissues and   at  least  74  cats.  Leo  was  always  such  a
         Leo in the oxygen kennel           the team were worried this was hampering   gentle giant when coming in to donate with
                                            his recovery. Consequently, Leo was placed   his brothers, taking everything in his stride.
                                            in the oxygen kennel again.          He joined at a time when we couldn’t store
                                              Meanwhile,  the  transfusion  team  got  to   feline blood, so he and his owner Peter were
                                            work  finding  Leo  the  perfect  blood  donor   essentially on call. Leo frequently travelled in
                                            match for the red blood cells he required.   to the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals at
                                            A  cat  called  Bertie,  who  was  owned  by   short notice to help save one of our patients.
                                            a  former  RVC  student,  was  found  to  be   In  late  2015  we  developed  a  blood
                                            compatible with Leo and donated blood for   collection system for cats so that we could
                                            him.                                store feline blood making it accessible at all
                                              Leo was in hospital for three weeks and   times of the day or night. This meant that
                                            spent most of that time in the Intensive Care   Leo  could  come  in  at  a  more  convenient
          A  CT  scan  was  the  performed,  which   Unit. However, it was a truly multidisciplinary   time to donate.
        identified abscesses in his lungs, meaning   case, with multiple specialist teams working   The CT scanner, the oxygen kennel and
        surgery was indicated. During surgery Leo   together  to  help  Leo.  These  included  the   the  freezer  where  the  plasma  was  stored
        needed a plasma transfusion.        Diagnostic Imaging team, the Anaesthesia   were all funded by the Animal Care Trust,
          Plasma  can  be  stored  frozen  for  up  to   and  Analgesia  Service,  the  Soft  Tissue   the RVC’s registered charity.
        five years, as luck would have it – as there   Surgery team, the Emergency and Critical
        is nothing more compatible than your own   Care teams and the Transfusion Medicine
        blood  products  –  there  was  still  a  unit  of   Service.
        Leo’s plasma in the hospital.         Everyone was so happy to see Leo start to
                                            return to health and for him to be able to go
        Complications after surgery         home. His owner reported that he was soon
        Leo  had  quite  a  complicated  recovery   back to his normal happy self, although his     For small animal referrals, please call:
        and  his  sepsis  became  life-threatening.   beautiful fur took a while to grow back!  01707 666399
        He  became  anaemic  as  he  was  not  well                                    Email:
                                                                                      qmhreception@rvc.ac.uk

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