Abdominal trauma in dogs 2. management

Trauma represents a big challenge for emergency doctors both in human and veterinary medicine. There have been great advancements in trauma medicine in people and these often provide an inspiration for veterinary surgeons. However, the vast differences in the facilities and finances available in human and veterinary medicine make the approach to trauma in both fields quite different. This article, the second in a two-part series, describes how to manage canine trauma patients. The first part focused on the initial investigation of canine abdominal trauma. Although this article will mention guidelines in people, these should not be automatically applied to dogs, especially when more relevant evidence for this species exists

Ultrasonography in the diagnosis and management of cats with ureteral obstruction

This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of cats with azotaemia (serum creatinine >180 μmol/l) that had ultrasonography of the urinary tract, ultrasound images available for review and received treatment for azotaemia. Cats with pre-renal azotaemia or urethral obstruction were excluded. Associations between clinical and ultrasonographic results and the dependent variables ‘tentative diagnosis of ureteral obstruction’, ‘pyelography positive for ureteral obstruction’ and ‘death in hospital’ were tested using binary logistic regression

Successful management of fipronil toxicosis in two pet rabbits

Background: Antiparasitic drug toxicosis is commonly described in dogs and cats, but reports on the management of antiparasitic drug toxicities in pet rabbits are scarce. Here, we describe the successful clinical management of two pet rabbits with fipronil toxicosis.Cases Description: The first case was a 5-month-old, intact female, rabbit that presented with the acute onset of seizures, obtunded mentation, and in lateral recumbency, while the second rabbit was a 1-year-old, intact male, rabbit that presented with anorexia and lethargy. In both cases, the owners reported to have administered a 0.5 ml fipronil vial topically on the skin as an antiparasitic drug between 4 and 6 hours prior to presentation. Complete blood count and serum biochemistry were unremarkable and both rabbits tested negative on Encephalitozoon cuniculi serology. Both animals were decontaminated by bathing with tepid water and dishwashing soap. The rabbit with seizures received on admission intravenous midazolam. In both cases, overnight hospitalization, intravenous isotonic crystalloid fluids, and assisted-feeding by oral syringe were provided until voluntary feeding was resumed. Both rabbits rapidly improved approximately 12 hours of initiating supportive care. Complete resolution of clinical signs and return of normal appetite and defecation occurred within 24 hours of hospitalization in both animals. No recurrence of neurological signs was reported in the rabbit presenting with seizures on a follow-up period of 1 month.Conclusion: The outcome of these cases suggests that supportive treatment of fipronil toxicity in pet rabbits can be successful if administered promptly

Genetic variation at 5 new autosomal short tandem repeat markers (D10S1248, D22S1045, D2S441, D1S1656, D12S391) in a population-based sample from Maghreb region

Aim. To investigate allele distribution and genetic parameters of a population-based sample from Maghreb region. Methods. Allele frequencies for 5 new autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) markers (D10S1248, D22S1045, D2S441, D1S1656, and D12S391) and several forensic parameters were determined for 95 unrelated individuals. Results. The combined power of discrimination and power of exclusion for the 5 loci were high (0.9999991 and 0.9954757, respectively). Allele frequencies were compared with previously published population data. Significant differences were found between Maghreb population and all other populations at the locus D2S441. Also, significant differences were found between the Maghreb and the African American population at the D22S1045, D1S1656, and D12S391 loci, between Maghreb and Caucasian population at the D1S1656 locus, and between Maghreb and Hispanic population at the D22S1045 locus. Conclusions. Typing of the 5 new STR loci may provide a useful addition to the previously established sets of autosomal STRs

Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy and outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with cancer: A joint analysis of OnCovid and ESMO-CoCARE registries

BACKGROUND: As management and prevention strategies against COVID-19 evolve, it is still uncertain whether prior exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) affects COVID-19 severity in patients with cancer. METHODS: In a joint analysis of ICI recipients from OnCovid (NCT04393974) and European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) CoCARE registries, we assessed severity and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients with cancer and explored whether prior immune-related adverse events (irAEs) influenced outcome from COVID-19. FINDINGS: The study population consisted of 240 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 2020 and February 2022 exposed to ICI within 3 months prior to COVID-19 diagnosis, with a 30-day case fatality rate (CFR CONCLUSION: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination reduces morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 in ICI recipients. History of irAEs might identify patients with pre-existing protection from COVID-19, warranting further investigation of adaptive immune determinants of protection from SARS-CoV-2

Gastric melanoma of unknown primary

We describe a case of a patient with anemia referring to our Digestive Endoscopy Unit. Upper GI endoscopy revealed a polypoid lesion with an ulcerated central depression. Histopathological examination of the biopsy specimen taken during endoscopy revealed a gastric metastatic melanoma. The dermatologic inspection failed in finding the primary melanoma. The importance of endoscopic examination in the diagnostic process of metastatic patients with unknown primaries is highlited by this case