Lung ultrasonography is a game-changer in respiratory health management, become one of the first certified in qTUS in the UK as well as gain knowledge and experience from the worlds best calf thoracic ultrasound specialists

Bovine Thoracic Ultrasound (TUS) is a useful technique, increasing in popularity due to recent recognition that a large proportion of calves may develop subclinical pneumonia only identifiable antemortem with TUS. Practically, the technique can be used to measure the prevalence and epidemiology of respiratory disease, as well as to inform treatment and measure treatment responses. At the herd level, it may be useful when considering the selection of replacement heifers or for screening the health of calves arriving onto new units. Regardless of the TUS method used, interobserver repeatability is only fair-to-poor. This can be improved through practical training and a new course offering a standardised training schedule has been produced by the qTUS farm team at the University of Ghent.

The RVC is pleased to host this training offering a 2 day practical course component here in the UK for the first time! This is a rare opportunity to become certified in qTUS, as well as gain knowledge and experience from the worlds best calf thoracic ultrasound specialists. The practical session will be held at Synergy Farm Health, Dorset DT2 0HS.

This is a 3-step program consisting of:

• 4 hours online lectures to be viewed prior to attending practical day plus half day classroom session to learn the theory 
• Followed by practical, on-farm training sessions with experienced qTUS specialists
• qTUS Certification - compare your skills to an experienced user and become part of the qTUS community! This will take place on the 2^nd afternoon of the CPD, giving you the chance to become qTUS certified.

Why is it important to get certified?
Lung ultrasound is becoming increasingly important, but mastering the technique comes with some challenges. Certification functions as a failsafe to safeguard the rational use of antimicrobials. In order to reduce antimicrobial use, while ensuring animal welfare is maintained, diagnostic accuracy is of critical importance. Once certified, you can confidently start scanning on your own, without the fear of misdiagnosing calves.

A range of lung ultrasound techniques are on the rise, each with their own qualities and pitfalls. By focusing on performance in field conditions, the qTUS course aims to be a quality label for diagnosis of pneumonia by practitioners.

Hands-on practical training with trained operators can improve your sensitivity with >20% compared to participants who only take the online class.

Further details about qTUS can be accessed online: https://www.qtus-vet.com/

This course consists of recorded webinars and a day of practical sessions. Please note: The online lectures are a pre-requisite for attending the onsite day (these will be available to view approximately 4 weeks prior to the practical day). These lectures allow you to learn at your own pace and can be listened to at a convenient time. This allows delegates to have more time once onsite for practical, hands-on teaching sessions. On the practical day, the tutors will be happy to answer questions relating to the online lectures, however to get through everything planned for the practical day, they will not be able to cover the content in the same level of detail as the online lectures. It is therefore imperative that all lectures are viewed in advance of attending.