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INOPP ForumVeterinary Pharmacovigilance: Coding Veterinary Adverse EventsCoding Veterinary Adverse Events

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Coding Veterinary Adverse Events

#1 · November 26, 2020, 1:17 PM

Species-specific Coding for Anaphylaxis

Species and Clinical signs

Species	Major shock organ(s)	Pathology	Clinical signs
Dogs	Liver	Hepatic and intestinal engorgement, visceral haemorrhage	Initially excitement, urticaria, angioedema and pruritus, then vomiting and defecation. Finally collapse, dyspnoea and convulsions
Cats	Respiratory tract / Gastrointestinal tract	Bronchoconstriction, pulmonary haemorrhage, oedema and emphysema, oedema of the glottis	Initially angioedema and pruritus around the face, then salivation, dyspnoea, vomiting, incoordination and collapse
Rabbits	Respiratory tract / Cardiovascular system	Pulmonary artery vasoconstriction and right ventricular failure	Initially tachypnoea, dyspnoea and pallor, then collapse, defecation and urination, loss of consciousness or collapse and convulsions
Horses	Respiratory tract / Gastrointestinal tract	Pulmonary oedema and emphysema, intestinal oedema and haemorrhage	Initially shivering, sweating and incoordination. Possibly coughing, dyspnoea and diarrhoea. Finally collapse. Colic
Cattle and sheep	Respiratory tract	Pulmonary haemorrhage, oedema and emphysema	Initially urticaria, angioedema, pruritus and restlessness. Coughing, severe dyspnoea and cyanosis. Also, defecation, urination, bloat and collapse
Pigs	Respiratory tract / Gastrointestinal tract	Pulmonary oedema and emphysema, intestinal oedema and haemorrhage. Dyspnoea, cyanosis, pruritus and collapse

Death related coding - Specific to Veterinary

Death by euthanasia
Increased mortality rate
Increased culls

#2 · January 4, 2021, 2:48 PM

Reluctance to move

Non-specific changes in an animal’s behaviour, such as inertia, are difficult to record accurately if other
clinical signs are not reported. There are a number of choices at LLT level (see below). In cases where
the situation is unclear, and few details are reported it would be advisable to select a term in the PT
‘Lethargy’ in order to indicate the generalised systemic nature of the reaction. This could be important
in a situation where an animal is showing some signs of mobility but not the full range of movement.
In such cases a single term from the SOC ‘Musculoskeletal disorders’ or the SOC ‘Neurological
disorders’ may not be an accurate description of the reaction.

Codes: Reluctant to move, Limb weakness, Walking difficulty

#3 · January 5, 2021, 3:14 PM

Foaming at the mouth

There are two LLT terms available in VeDDRA to describe the drooling of non-bloody fluid from the mouth of an animal which is often described by reporters as ‘foaming at the mouth’. An additional term exists to describe incidents when the bloody foam is seen in both the mouth and nose. As the terms are located in different SOCs, their selection at LLT level could be critical in ensuring that the clinical syndrome described by the reporter is recorded correctly. It is advisable to include additional LLT terms from the relevant SOCs whenever possible, so that the adverse reaction is characterised accurately. It should also be remembered that ‘foaming at the mouth’ can be associated with neurological disorders such as muscle tremors, convulsions and tetany, although in these cases it is unlikely to be the sole clinical sign which is reported.

Codes: Foaming at the mouth, Foam in the mouth, Bloody foam in mouth and nose