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Chronic workplace stress and burnout are serious problems in veterinary medicine. Although not classified as a medical condition, burnout can affect sleep patterns and contributes to chronic low grade systemic inflammation, autonomic imbalance, hormonal imbalances and immunodeficiencies, thereby increasing the risks of physical and psychological ill health in affected individuals. Cultural misconceptions in the profession often lead to perceptions of burnout as a personal failure, ideas that healthcare professionals are somehow at lower risk for suffering, and beliefs that affected individuals can or should somehow heal themselves. However, these concepts are antiquated, harmful and incorrect, preventing the design of appropriate solutions for this serious and growing challenge to the veterinary profession. Veterinarians must first correctly identify the nature of the problem and understand its causes and impacts before rational solutions can be implemented. In this first part of two companion reviews, burnout will be defined, pathophysiology discussed, and healthcare and veterinary-relevant occupational stressors that lead to burnout identified.

Burnout is a work-related syndrome of physical and emotional exhaustion secondary to prolonged, unresolvable occupational stress. Individuals of different demographic cohorts may have disparate experiences of workplace stressors and burnout impacts. Healthcare organizations are adversely affected by burnt out workers through decreased productivity, low morale, suboptimal teamwork, and potential impacts on the quality of patient care. In this second of two companion reviews, the demographics of veterinary burnout and the impacts of burnout on affected individuals and work environments are summarized, before discussing mitigation concepts and their extrapolation for targeted strategies within the veterinary workplace and profession.

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the effects of rotator cuff muscle regeneration in sheep and establish an experimental model for the use of autologous stem cells as a treatment option for tendon injuries. Methods: Infrared muscle tenotomies and Penrose drain implantation were performed on 12 shoulders of six clinically healthy adult sheep. After 60 days, the tendons were submitted to tissue repair, drainage removal, and divided into two groups according to the use of autologous stromal stem cells for treatment. Muscle regeneration was performed by biopsy on days 14 and 34 after repair. Results: The treatment group with cell therapy showed neovascularization and expressive regeneration. Complete regeneration of the muscle pattern did not occur in any sample although some muscle gain was obtained in the group 1 samples at 34 days after repair and introduction of stem cells. Fatty infiltration of these samples from group 1 at 34 days was less intense than that in samples from group 2 at 34 days after repair without the introduction of autologous precursor cells. Conclusion: The sheep proved to be a good experimental model to assist in the development of research on muscle regeneration and the autologous manipulation of stem cells as a therapeutic option.