Acute Phase Proteins

Clinical pathology gets such a bad rap. The lecture presented today is meant to demonstrate how clinical pathology is interwoven into almost every case in veterinary medicine. This is an area where we as nurses/technicians can shine and have a real impact on our patients. The detection of inflammation is an essential component of laboratory diagnostics. Historically this has been challenging given that clinical exam findings can be variable and routine hematology can insensitive in the detection and trending of inflammation. Monitoring of the acute phase response can provide a more sensitive and objective measurement of inflammation. There are several groups of acute-phase proteins. This case-based lecture will focus on CRP and SAA. Through real-life cases, we will help the attendee better understand these proteins and how in-clinic measurements and trending can help guide patient care.