WSAVA to Launch Updated Global Pain Guidelines during 2022 World Congress
25 September 2022
An updated version of one of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s (WSAVA’s) most frequently accessed Global Guidelines is to be launched at this year’s World Congress. The new edition of its Guidelines for the Recognition, Assessment and Treatment of Pain is undergoing peer-review prior to publication by the Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP), the WSAVA’s official scientific journal. The Guidelines, created by the WSAVA’s Global Pain Council (GPC), will be launched to WSAVA members during World Congress, prior to being made available for free download from the JSAP website once they have been accepted and from the WSAVA website.
The WSAVA’s Guidelines for the Recognition, Assessment and Treatment of Pain will provide users with easy-to-implement, foundational information on the successful recognition and treatment of pain in a general small animal clinical practice setting. They also support veterinarians in any region of the world, regardless of difficulties with drug availability, because they provide guidance on how to recognize and treat pain in these situations. Resolving the issue of global inequities in accessing veterinary medicines is a key priority for he WSAVA and will be discussed during World Congress at the Shaping the Future session.
The goal of the WSAVA Global Pain Council, chaired by Dr Bea Monteiro and made up of a team of global experts, is to create a global environment for companion animals in which pain is considered as the fourth vital sign and addressed appropriately. Its first Global Guidelines were published in JSAP in 2014 and have been downloaded from its website 53,000 times. They are also available on the WSAVA website, from where they have been downloaded almost 4,000 times this year alone, together with a range of other free resources. The work of the GPC is generously supported by Zoetis.
Dr Monteiro said: “With animal sentience now legally recognized in many countries and jurisdictions, veterinary health professionals have a moral and ethical duty to mitigate suffering to the best of our ability. Despite advances in the recognition and treatment of pain, pain still occurs more commonly than it is treated. This makes it essential that we engage veterinarians globally and support them in recognizing, anticipating, alleviating and treating pain. We hope the latest issue of our Guidelines will become a key reference point and I’d like to thank the members of the GPC for their dedication in preparing them.”
Taking place from October 29-31 October in Lima, Peru, WSAVA World Congress offers a packed scientific program in which global experts explore cutting-edge thinking and new trends in companion animal veterinary care. Speakers from Peru and wider Latin America are well-represented with lectures in both Spanish and English. Some of the English lectures will be translated simultaneously into Spanish to maximize their accessibility to delegates. Lectures by some of the WSAVA’s 2022 Award recipients are also included in the program.
To register for WSAVA World Congress 2022, visit https://wsava2022.com/register/. Early Bird rates are available until October 6.
The WSAVA represents more than 200,000 veterinarians worldwide through its 115 member associations and works to enhance standards of clinical care for companion animals. Its core activities include the development of WSAVA Global Guidelines in key areas of veterinary practice, including pain management, nutrition and vaccination, together with lobbying on important issues affecting companion animal care worldwide. WSAVA World Congress brings together globally respected experts to offer cutting edge thinking on all aspects of companion animal veterinary care.