The case of the Mopey Meerkats

Question 1

What are meerkats?

Answer 1

Small mammal belonging to the mongoose family. Native to Southern Africa where they live in mobs of about 20. Omnivorous, eating insects, reptiles, scorpions and spiders, plants, eggs, birds, and small mammals.

Question 2

Pale mucous membranes can mean anaemia?

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Bleeding into the body cavities is more commonly associated with disorders of coagulation?

Answer 3

True

Question 4

ACT is a good test to measure platelet function?

Answer 4

False

Question 5

Prothrombin will be prolonged in situations where?

Answer 5

Coagulation is impaired

Question 6

What does the combination of pale mucous membranes and elevated heart rates make you think?

Answer 6

Blood loss

Question 7

What is melaena? Possible reason?

Answer 7

Bleeding into the bowel lumen resulting in bloody stool

Question 8

What could explain the dyspnoea?

Answer 8

Bleeding into the pleural cavity and the airways

Question 9

The Activated Coagulation Time (ACT) is more sensitive than the APTT for assessing intrinsic pathway coagulation systems. True or False?

Answer 9

False

Question 10

In the ACT, siliceous earth is used as the contact activator of the intrinsic coagulation system? True or false?

Answer 10

True

Question 11

Which of the following factors has the shortest halflife in plasma? Factor V (5), Factor VII (7), Factor IX (9), or Factor X (10)

Answer 11

Factor VII (7)

Question 12

What is another name for thrombin?

Answer 12

Factor II

Question 13

What is another name for thrombin?

Answer 13

Factor II

Question 14

Vitamin K deficiency will result in impairment of the intrinsic and common pathway but not the extrinsic pathway. True or false?

Answer 14

False

Question 15

Early in the time course of warfarin poisoning, coagulation defects are most likely to be detected with?

Answer 15

Prothrombin time

Question 16

Prothrombin time is a measure of levels of which of the following clotting factors? Factor II (2) (thrombin), Factor V (5), Factor VII (7), Factor XII (Hagemann Factor)

Answer 16

Factor VII (7)

Question 17

Warfarin is an irreversible inhibitor of vitamin K reductase. True or false?

Answer 17

False

Question 18

Warfarin is an irreversible inhibitor of vitamin K reductase. True or false?

Answer 18

False

Question 19

An agent with a higher LD50 is more toxic to the affected species. True or false

Answer 19

False

Question 20

Bromadiolone is a comarin derivative. T or F

Answer 20

True

Question 21

Second generation rodenticides have a longer halflife than first generation rodenticides. T or F

Answer 21

True

Question 22

Administration of Vitamin K will increase PIVKA levels within 8-12 hours. T or F

Answer 22

False

Question 23

Vitamin K is synthesized in the liver of most mammals. T or F

Answer 23

False

Question 24

Vitamin K is synthesized in the liver of most mammals. T or F

Answer 24

False

Question 25

Second generation rodenticides

Answer 25

More likely to cause secondary rodenticide poisoning because of their longer half life More likely to kill with a single dose because of their greater potency They are synthetic derivatives of coumarin

Question 26

Which test is likely to be most useful in detecting early cases of rodenticide poisoning with coumarin derivatives?

Answer 26

Prothrombin time (PT)

Question 27

Which test is likely to be most useful in detecting early cases of rodenticide poisoning with coumarin derivatives?

Answer 27

Prothrombin time (PT)

Question 28

How did the meerkats get to the rat bait if it was not in their enclosure?

Answer 28

They could have eaten a mouse- with a toxic dose in the tissues, such as the liver

Question 29

What is Talon?

Answer 29

Second generation rodenticide, coumarin derivative.

Question 30

What is the half life of Talon? How does that impact tx?

Answer 30

Oral vitamin K for at least four weeks, assess clotting time 2-3 days after cessation of vitamin K supplementation.

Question 31

An increase in prothrombin time with a normal APTT suggests

Answer 31

Early rodenticide poisoning, Factor VII deficiency, The intrinsic pathway is unaffected

Question 32

An increase in prothrombin time with a normal APTT suggests

Answer 32

Early rodenticide poisoning, Factor VII deficiency, The intrinsic pathway is unaffected

Question 33

Where does vitamin K come from?

Answer 33

Synthesized by some bacteria in the gut and nutritional sources (plenty in dog and cat dry diets for example)