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Case Reports

• Case Report Evaluation

Submission Guidelines:

Must send up to four (4) separate cds containing two case reports each. Use ABVP yellow recertification labels. Each accepted case report is worth 200 credits.

Four copies of each Case Report must be submitted. These Case Reports should represent different topics in your specialty category. Individual and population cases are acceptable in all practice categories.

The reports should include complete and appropriate diagnostic workups and medical and/or surgical managements. Case Reports should reflect your professional expertise and demonstrate your ability to use medical principles in the diagnosis and treatment of animals. A unique diagnosis or surgical technique does not, in and of itself, make an acceptable Case Report, unless the case is managed and presented appropriately.

The Case Reports represent your ability to communicate medical observations and data in an organized and appropriate manner. Errors in spelling or syntax, or failure to follow the Case Report instructions, reflect poorly on your professionalism and will adversely affect the evaluation.

Previously published Case Reports may be submitted if written within the last five years. Publication of Case Reports (even in refereed journals) does not necessarily imply that the organization and content of the Case Reports will be found acceptable by the Credentials Committee. If these previously published Case Reports were not written according to the format and style outlined herein, they must be rewritten in this style and format.

Case Reports should allow the Credentials Committee to evaluate an applicants ability to recognize problems, formulate differential diagnoses, and develop and implement appropriate diagnostic, therapeutic or preventive plans.

Case Reports that are original research or only a literature review of a topic are unacceptable.

Case Reports must be in English and must include, in the following order:

A. Title

B. ABVP ID#:

To maintain anonymity in the Case Report review and evaluation process, you must not include your name, hospitals name, or an address on any portion of the submitted Case Report.

C. Introduction:

States the purpose of the report, a brief review of the problem, and a literature review that is pertinent and covers the breadth of current knowledge regarding the problem. This should include pathophysiology, typical history and presentation, important differentials, diagnostic approach, treatment options and mechanisms of action where appropriate, prognosis, and any other pertinent information about the topic.

D. Clinical Report:

Includes the anamnesis, physical findings, diagnostic methods and results (e.g., laboratory and radiological findings), differential diagnoses, treatment and results, necropsy findings (when appropriate), final diagnoses, and outcome of case(s). All laboratory work performed must be reported in table form with normals. Specialists who aided in the case should be acknowledged but not named. Indicate whether lab work was performed in-house or out-sourced.

E. Discussion:

Consists of the authors subjective critique of the clinical report and management of the problem. This is different from the clinical report, in which the clinical findings are objective. No new information should be added in the Discussion. Explanations of the deficits in case management are presented here and, when necessary, justifications for choices made that differ from management suggested in the literature review.

F. Summary:

Provides an interpretative summary of the Case Report (not to exceed 150 words).

G. Endnotes and References:

Cite endnotes by superscript, lowercase letters in the order in which they appear in the text. List endnotes alphabetically by superscript letter on a separate page at the end of the manuscript. For products and equipment, provide complete information in the endnote, including manufacturers name and location. Abstracts, personal communication, and theses should be cited as endnotes. References to published works should be limited to what is relevant and necessary and must be cited in the text by superscript numbers. Use references that are as current as possible, emphasizing journal citations in addition to texts. References should be typed, double-spaced, and listed at the end of the manuscript, in order of citation in the text.

H. Format/Style:

1. Products and equipment should be identified by chemical or generic names or descriptions. A trade name may be included in a lettered endnote along with name and location (city and state) of the manufacturer, when the product or equipment was essential to the outcome of the case.
2. If the report involved evaluation of efficacy or safety of a pharmaceutical, biologic, or other product, such product must be commercially and legally available.
3. For weights and measures, metric units should be used. Dosages should be expressed entirely in metric units and with specific time intervals, for example, 22mg/ kg q 12 h, not 10mg/lb BID.
4. Case Reports must be double-spaced and each page must be numbered. Case Reports must be of original quality and submitted on four (4) cds.
5. Figures (e.g., radiographs, photographs, electrocardiograms, line drawings, etc.) necessary to support important portions of the case are recommended. These should be submitted as 5"x7" or similar-sized prints or as high-quality computer-generated graphics. Images should be on a separate page with an appropriate legend. Figures and tables should be placed on a separate page in the Case Report immediately following the first text reference to the figure or table. When prints are used, a separate print (not a photocopy) must be included in each of the four copies of the Case Report. Do not send original or copies of the medical record or laboratory reports. This information, if important, should be in the text, tables or figures.

Case Report Evaluation

To maintain anonymity in the Case Report review process, Case Reports are submitted for evaluation to three Diplomates in your specialty category. The following describes how Case Reports are evaluated.

1. The Case Report will be reviewed to assess the applicants ability to recognize and manage medical and surgical problems, to utilize the diagnostic and therapeutic modalities currently available, and to present and interpret clinical findings. A Case Report which does not permit an adequate assessment may be rejected. The applicant should be able to justify his/her decision-making and convince the reviewer that his/her interventions were reasonable and warranted. Due consideration should be paid to reasonable probabilities and practical factors such as the economics and effectiveness of diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive endeavors, and the morbidity and mortality risks that were assumed. The outcome of the case matters only to the extent that appropriate care was demonstrated on a level commensurate with board certification.
2. The Case Report is a form of scientific communication and its presentation is crucial. It should clearly communicate the subject matter in a style that is easy to read while adhering to the required ABVP format. Following instructions is fundamental. While ABVP credentialing does not require published Case Reports in refereed journals, the quality of the Case Report presentation should be comparable. Case Reports of inferior quality reflect poorly on the applicants professionalism and may be rejected.
3. The introduction of the Case Report will be scrutinized for succinct yet complete information germane to the topic being presented. Searching the scientific literature and gleaning the pertinent facts about a topic is an essential skill for an ABVP Diplomate. Rather than endlessly referencing every possible permutation about a subject, the introduction should familiarize the reader with background information that is current and important, information that will lay a foundation for the clinical report and discussion. By writing an excellent introduction, the applicant shows that he/she has a firm grasp of the currently published medicine
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   and surgery relevant to the case.
4. The clinical report portion of the Case Report is more than a chronicling of events and a listing of tests and treatments. It should demonstrate that the applicant was thorough and thoughtful as he/she proceeded through the investigation and intervention phases and ultimately to the resolution and follow-up. Cleverness and innovation are to be commended as long as the applicant adheres to established medical principles and exhibits sound case management. This is the applicants opportunity to showcase his/her clinical acumen and technical abilities, and to demonstrate to the reviewer that he/she is practicing ABVP caliber medicine and surgery.
5. The discussion of the Case Report should analyze and critique the case, acknowledging deviations from anticipated findings and attempting to interpret or explain their importance. Comparing the clinical course of the case to the information presented in the introduction affords the applicant an opportunity to discuss what was learned from this Case Report and perhaps draw conclusions about how to manage future cases.
6. The summary of the Case Report should be brief but descriptive. Ideally, it should state the gist of the Case Report and close with a valid conclusion with which the reviewer would concur.
7. Case reports will be evaluated using this form. The ABVP reviewers are required to utilize this form exclusively so applicants should follow all instructions for case report preparation precisely. All four sections of the case report (Introduction, Clinical Report, Discussion, Summary) must be deemed acceptable by a majority of the reviewers in order to pass the evaluation process.
8. A sample Case Report is available here.