Accepted abstracts will be published in full in the conference proceedings, in full on the AVA website and in title form in the VAA journal. By submitting an abstract, you consent to the abstract becoming available by these routes.
The review process does not allow the time for major changes to be made before the meeting if abstracts do not follow the guidelines below. Please ensure that your abstract follows the guidelines below before submitting. Those abstracts not following the guidelines will be rejected.
Abstracts are submitted via the AVA website via a specific online submission form and submission must be no later than the specific conference deadline. All abstracts must be accompanied by a confirmation that the work was subject to an ethical approval process, and details of this (e.g. Approval number) must be stated. Please do not send abstracts by email. Any queries should be directed to the Abstracts Editor at ava.abstracts@gmail.com
The Abstract Format
The abstract text must not exceed 250 words. This does not include Title, Authors, Institution, References or Ethical Approval statement, but does include any tables or figures.
Please note requirements for spaces (e.g. p = 0.001 NOT p=0.001 and 45 ± 3.2 NOT 45±3.2). All abstracts must be written in English. American or UK spelling is acceptable but must be consistent.
The abstract must consist of an introduction, materials and methods, results and a conclusion. However, titles prior to each section are not required.
- Introduction (maximum three lines in word) should concisely summarize the background for the study.
- Materials & methods must provide sufficient information to allow the quality of the study to be evaluated. Specific details of the number of animals studied and doses of drugs given must be recorded. Generic names should be used for all drugs; best to use recommended international non-proprietary name. Statistical methods should be recorded.
- Results must include data. Parametric data should be presented as mean ± SD. Nonparametric data should be presented as median values (range). Individual p-values for results are not necessary in the abstract text, but authors must make clear which results were statistically significant.
- Conclusions should be drawn from the data presented in the abstract without repetition of results.
A maximum of three references may be listed in Harvard style (see examples below). Acknowledgements should be limited to the major funding of the study
Formatting
You must upload your abstract in as an A4 Microsoft Word document. Tables may be included within the document. This Word document should contain the abstract text and up to 3 references. The Authors, affiliations, acknowledgements and ethical approval statement should not be included in this file.The text should be Arial 12pt with single spacing and no indentation at the start of paragraphs.
Each section (Introduction, materials and methods etc.) should be a separate paragraph with no subheadings and no spacing between paragraphs.
When using μ e.g. in μg kg-1, use the Arial font greek letter. Avoid using a different font e.g. “symbol”.
Units
- Please use negative indices, not solidus e.g. mg kg-1 not mg/kg
- % – not per cent or percentage
- Minute & hour not min & hr
- SI units throughout with the exception of; mmHg for blood, intracranial and intra-ocular pressure and cmH2O for airway pressure and CVP.
- mmHg or kPa are permissible for blood gases and unlike in VAA, both are not required.
Abbreviations
Do not start a sentence with an acronym or abbreviation. Acronyms should be written in full at first usage followed by acronym in brackets with the exception of the following which may be used without explanation
| HR | heart rate; units: beats minute-1 |
| PR | pulse rate |
| ECG | electrocardiogram |
| EEG | electroencephalogram |
| fr | respiratory rate |
| SAP | systolic arterial pressure |
| DAP | diastolic arterial pressure |
| MAP | mean arterial pressure |
| PaCO2 & PvCO2 | arterial and venous partial pressure of carbon dioxide |
| PaO2 & PvO2 | arterial and venous partial pressure of oxygen |
| Fe’CO2 & Pe’CO2 | end-tidal carbon dioxide. fractional concentration (F) or partial pressures. |
| VT | Tidal volume |
| VE | Minute ventilation |
| NSAID | Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug |
| ANOVA | Analysis of variance |
| MAC | Minimum alveolar concentration |
| SpO2 | Percentage of haemoglobin oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry |
| FiO2 | Fraction of inspired oxygen |
| IV, SC, IM | Intravenous, subcutaneous, intramuscular |
| SWG | Standard wire gauge (needle size) |
| n | Number in a group |
References
Should be in Harvard style with journal titles abbreviated. If there are more than three authors list the first three then et al.
Example: Young LE, Blissitt KJ, Clutton RE et al. (1998) Temporal effects of an infusion of dobutamine hydrochloride in horses anesthetized with halothane. Am J Vet Res 59, 1027–1032.
To cite in text:
Direct citations: Kitts (1989) for single author, Jones & Smith (1990) for two authors, Kitts et al. (1989) for more than two authors. Indirect citations: In (Jones and Smith 1990), (Kitts et al. 1989) or (Jones & Smith 1990).
Download the guidelines (PDF)