At the University of Virginia (UVA), pediatric endotracheal intubation training involves residents repeatedly forcing a breathing tube down the throats of kittens and adult cats. This causes tracheal bruising, bleeding, scarring, severe pain, and permanent injury. But the anatomical differences between these animals and humans render this type of training ineffective.
Ninety-four percent of pediatrics residency programs use nonanimal methods for endotracheal intubation training, the primary emergency procedure taught in pediatrics residencies. Medical simulators based on human anatomy are designed to replicate a premature, low birth weight child. One of these simulators was even designed in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The University of Virginia is aware of these human-based training methods but continues to claim that cats are necessary to train residents. The school also claims that cats are not harmed in the process. But documents obtained by PCRM through the Virginia Public Records Act show that that simply isn’t true:
Callie, a female calico cat, suffered a broken canine tooth caused by "blunt trauma." Fiddle, a male calico, also suffered from a broken canine tooth as a result of this training.
Cats used in this training have plastic tubes forced down their throats in high numbers per training session. Fiddle has suffered through this as many as 22 times in one training session. Alley, a female calico, suffered through as many as 19 intubation attempts during one session.
Cats used in this training are often used numerous times per year for up to seven years or longer, enduring dozens of anesthesias and hundreds of intubations.
Fiddle suffered an "unusually hyperactive recovery" from a difficult anesthetic episode that lasted for three days.
Cats are routinely transported from Charlottesville to other parts of Virginia for training of individuals with no or limited medical knowledge or skills.
UVA purchases cats from Liberty Research, a company that the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited for more than 20 Animal Welfare Act violations between July 2009 and April 2011, highlighting the dealer’s lack of sanitation and maintenance of housing units for cats and dogs, as well as illegal transport of at least 147 kittens.
* this is an action by PCRM
Act now ►►► contact University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan:
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Contact details:
Teresa A. Sullivan, President
University of Virginia
PO Box 400224
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4224
Phone: 00 1 434 924 3337
Fax: 00 1 434 924 3792
Email: tas6n@virginia.edu, protest@3dayz.com
Twitter: @TeresaASullivan
When you send the example letter below, please add protest@3dayz.com in the "To" field so we can keep track of the amount of emails that are send. Thank you!
Example tweet: Please stop the use of cats in pediatric endotracheal intubation training and make use of nonanimal methods. Thank you! @TeresaASullivan
Example letter:
I am writing to ask that you immediately end the use of cats in the University of Virginia's (UVA) pediatrics residency program. The use of live animals for this purpose is cruel and outdated. Ninety-four percent of pediatrics residency programs in the United States use human-based methods for this type of training. UVA already has a state-of-the-art medical simulation center that can easily provide nonanimal training methods, so there is no justification for the continued use of live cats. Please end this cruel and unnecessary practice immediately.
Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
[YOUR NAME]
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