Grant: 16-032C
Project Title: Sea Turtle Diagnostic & Therapeutic Equipment
Project Manager: Heather Barron
Organization: Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $13,513.17
Completion Date: 2017-07-12

Summary: The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc. (CROW) will purchase an i-STAT with some initial analysis test cartridges and necessary component materials for two donated Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) units that will allow CROW to manage serious wounds in turtles. This additional equipment will provide the optimum in diagnostic and treatment procedures for ailing sea turtles admitted to the CROW hospital. As the only licensed sea turtle treatment facility on the Gulf coast between Sarasota and the Florida Keys, CROW’s work with these endangered creatures is vital to the life of Southwest Florida’s coastal waters. On-site diagnostic and treatment options afford CROW the capability of providing the highest quality care for sea turtle patients while at the same time providing day to day operating budget relief for the hospital.

Results: CROW saw 22 adult sea turtles for whom we used the iSTA T cartridges on those admitted alive (20 turtles) at least once and for some of the animals up to 6 times over the course of their stay in the hospital for a total use of 70 cartridges (they come in boxes of 10 and there are 3 different types, which measure different analytes). iSTA T profiles were run on each initial presentation, over the course of IV fluid therapy, and during anesthesia as required. In some cases, it was more appropriate to run a full profile on the Abaxis VS2 chemistry machine to get the bigger picture of overall internal organ function and health, which were purchased with CROW funds.