Comparison of the use of sodium carbonate (washing soda crystals) and apomorphine for inducing emesis in dogs

Objective: To describe the use of sodium carbonate and apomorphine in a historical cohort of dogs, compare the occurrence of emesis and report any adverse effects recorded. Methods: This historical, observational study included information from medical records of dogs that received an emetic agent. The occurrence of emesis with apomorphine or sodium carbonate was calculated and the association between emesis and agent was explored, with the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) reported. A non-inferiority analysis of the occurrence of emesis for sodium carbonate was performed against an equivalence range of ±7% of the estimated occurrence of emesis with apomorphine. Owners were emailed a short survey about their dog's health after their visit to the hospital for induced emesis. Results: Records for 787 dogs seen from January 2007 to December 2013 were included. For apomorphine, 382/392 dogs showed emesis (97%, 95% CI 95–100%). For sodium carbonate, 320/395 dogs showed emesis (81%, 95% CI 77–85%), which fell below the equivalence range for apomorphine (97 ± 7%, 90–100%) and was considered inferior. The odds ratio of emesis with apomorphine to sodium carbonate was 9.0 (95% CI 4.6–17.6). Of 18 responses to the survey, 5 reported abnormalities after emesis (3 with sodium carbonate, 2 with apomorphine). Conclusion: The occurrence of emesis with sodium carbonate was high but inferior to apomorphine. However, the advantages of sodium carbonate, including less expense and ease of accession compared with apomorphine, make it a viable choice in emergency medicine

Distal normograde intramedullary pin and locking plate placement in the canine humerus: A cadaveric study

Objective: To identify a repeatable anatomic landmark for pin insertion and to describe the technique for placement of a distal normograde intramedullary (IM) pin of approximately 35% of the IM diameter using this approach combined with a locking compression plate (LCP) on the medial aspect of the canine humerus. Study Design: Ex vivo anatomic study. Sample Population: Canine cadavers (n=10 Greyhounds). Methods: An anatomic landmark for pin insertion was identified based on three-dimensional reconstructions of previous elbow computed tomography studies and cadaveric dissection of the medial aspect of the humeral condyle. Bilateral distal normograde IM pin and LCP placement were performed and confirmed radiographically and by disarticulation and sagittal sectioning. Results: The anatomic landmark for pin insertion was consistently identified in each specimen using the technique described. Distal normograde insertion of a 3.5 mm IM pin was possible in Greyhound cadaveric humeri at the described location in conjunction with a 3.5 mm LCP with fixed angle, locked screws. A monocortical locking screw was required to avoid interference with the IM pin in 28 of 60 of the 3 proximal screw holes. No pin interference was encountered in any of the distal screw holes. Conclusion: The anatomic landmark and technique described in our study enabled repeatable successful placement of a distal normograde IM pin of approximately 35% of the IM diameter combined with an LCP on the medial aspect of the canine humerus. This technique may be useful for locking plate-rod fixation of distal humeral diaphyseal fractures

Quantification of gastroesophageal regurgitation in brachycephalic dogs

Background Gastroesophageal reflux and regurgitation occurs in brachycephalic dogs, but objective assessment is lacking. Objectives Quantify reflux in brachycephalic dogs using an esophageal pH probe and determine the association with scored clinical observations. Animals Fifty-one brachycephalic dogs. Methods Case review study. Signs of respiratory and gastrointestinal disease severity were graded based on owner assessment. An esophageal pH probe with 2 pH sensors was placed for 18-24 hours in brachycephalic dogs that presented for upper airway assessment. Proximal and distal reflux were indicated by detection of fluid with a pH ≤4. The median reflux per hour, percentage time pH ≤4, number of refluxes ≥5 minutes and longest reflux event for distal and proximal sensors were recorded. Association of preoperative respiratory and gastrointestinal grade, laryngeal collapse grade, and previous airway surgery with the distal percentage time pH ≤4 was examined using 1-way ANOVA. Results A total of 43 of 51 dogs (84%; 95% confidence interval 72-92) displayed abnormal reflux with a median (range) distal percentage time pH ≤4 of 6.4 (2.5-36.1). There was no significant association between the distal percentage time pH ≤4 and respiratory grade, gastrointestinal grade, laryngeal collapse grade, or previous upper airway surgery. Conclusions and Clinical Importance The occurrence of reflux is not associated with owner-assessed preoperative respiratory and gastrointestinal grade, laryngeal collapse grade, and previous airway surgery. Esophageal pH measurement provides an objective assessment tool before and after surgery

Can bronchoconstriction and bronchodilatation in horses be detected using electrical impedance tomography?

Background Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) generates images of the lungs based on impedance change and was able to detect changes in airflow after histamine challenge in horses. Objectives To confirm that EIT can detect histamine‐provoked changes in airflow and subsequent drug‐induced bronchodilatation. Novel EIT flow variables were developed and examined for changes in airflow. Methods Bronchoconstriction was induced using stepwise histamine bronchoprovocation in 17 healthy sedated horses. The EIT variables were recorded at baseline, after saline nebulization (control), at the histamine concentration causing bronchoconstriction (Cmax) and 2 and 10 minutes after albuterol (salbutamol) administration. Peak global inspiratory (PIFEIT) and peak expiratory EIT (PEFEIT) flow, slope of the global expiratory flow‐volume curve (FVslope), steepest FVslope over all pixels in the lung field, total impedance change (surrogate for tidal volume; VTEIT) and intercept on the expiratory FV curve normalized to VTEIT (FVintercept/VTEIT) were indexed to baseline and analyzed for a difference from the control, at Cmax, 2 and 10 minutes after albuterol. Multiple linear regression explored the explanation of the variance of Δflow, a validated variable to evaluate bronchoconstriction using all EIT variables. Results At Cmax, PIFEIT, PEFEIT, and FVslope significantly increased whereas FVintercept/VT decreased. All variables returned to baseline 10 minutes after albuterol. The VTEIT did not change. Multivariable investigation suggested 51% of Δflow variance was explained by a combination of PIFEIT and PEFEIT. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Changes in airflow during histamine challenge and subsequent albuterol administration could be detected by various EIT flow volume variables

Commercials, careers and culture: travelling salesmen in Britain 1890s-1930s

Within the lower middle-class, British commercial travellers established a strong fraternal culture before 1914. This article examines their interwar experiences in terms of income, careers, and associational culture. It demonstrates how internal labour markets operated, identifies the ways in which commercial travellers interpreted their role, and explores their social and political attitudes

Use of Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) to estimate tidal volume in Anaesthetized horses undergoing elective surgery

This study explores the application of electric impedance tomography (EIT) to estimate tidal volume (VT) by measuring impedance change per breath (∆Zbreath). Seventeen healthy horses were anaesthetised and mechanically ventilated for elective procedures requiring dorsal recumbency. Spirometric VT (VTSPIRO) and ∆Zbreath were recorded periodically; up to six times throughout anaesthesia. Part 1 assessed these variables at incremental delivered VT of 10, 12 and 15 mL/kg. Part 2 estimated VT (VTEIT) in litres from ∆Zbreath at three additional measurement points using a line of best fit obtained from Part 1. During part 2, VT was adjusted to maintain end-tidal carbon dioxide between 45–55 mmHg. Linear regression determined the correlation between VTSPIRO and ∆Zbreath (part 1). Estimated VTEIT was assessed for agreement with measured VTSPIRO using Bland Altman analysis (part 2). Marked variability in slope and intercepts was observed across horses. Strong positive correlation between ∆Zbreath and VTSPIRO was found in each horse (R2 0.9–0.99). The agreement between VTEIT and VTSPIRO was good with bias (LOA) of 0.26 (−0.36–0.88) L. These results suggest that, in anaesthetised horses, EIT can be used to monitor and estimate VT after establishing the individual relationship between these variables

Investigations on the 1.7 micron residual absorption feature in the vegetation reflection spectrum

The detection and interpretation of the weak absorption features associated with the biochemical components of vegetation is of great potential interest to a variety of applications ranging from classification to global change studies. This recent subject is also challenging because the spectral signature of the biochemicals is only detectable as a small distortion of the infrared spectrum which is mainly governed by water. Furthermore, the interpretation is complicated by complexity of the molecules (lignin, cellulose, starch, proteins) which contain a large number of different and common chemical bonds. In this paper, we present investigations on the absorption feature centered at 1.7 micron; these were conducted both on AVIRIS data and laboratory reflectance spectra of leaves

Biomarkers of coagulation and inflammation in dogs after randomized administration of 6% Hydroxyethyl Starch 130/0.4 or Hartmann’s Solution

Synthetic colloid fluids containing hydroxyethyl starch (HES) have been associated with impairment of coagulation in dogs. It is unknown if HES causes coagulation impairment in dogs with naturally occurring critical illness. This study used banked plasma samples from a blinded, randomized clinical trial comparing HES and balanced isotonic crystalloid for bolus fluid therapy in 39 critically ill dogs. Blood was collected prior to fluid administration and 6, 12, and 24 h thereafter. Coagulation biomarkers measured at each time point included prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, fibrinogen concentration, and the activities of coagulation factors V, VII, VIII, IX, and X, von Willebrand factor antigen, antithrombin, and protein C. Given the links between coagulation and inflammation, cytokine concentrations were also measured, including interleukins 6, 8, 10, and 18, keratinocyte-derived chemokine, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Data were analyzed with linear mixed effects models. No significant treatment-by-time interactions were found for any biomarker, indicating that the pattern of change over time was not modified by treatment. Examining the main effect of time showed significant changes in several coagulation biomarkers and keratinocyte-derived chemokines. This study could not detect evidence of coagulation impairment with HES

Prospect redux

The remote estimation of leaf biochemical content from spaceborne platforms has been the subject of many studies aimed at better understanding of terrestrial ecosystem functioning. The major ecological processes involved in exchange of matter and energy, like photosynthesis, primary production, evaportranspiration, respiration, and decomposition can be related to plant properties e.g., chlorophyll, water, protein, cellulose and lignin contents. As leaves represent the most important plant surfaces interacting with solar energy, a top priority has been to relate optical properties to biochemical constituents. Two different approaches have been considered: first, statistical correlations between the leaf reflectance (or transmittance) and biochemical content, and second, physically based models of leaf scattering and absorption developed using the laws of optics. Recently reviewed by Verdebout et al., the development of models of leaf optical properties has resulted in better understanding of the interaction of light with plant leaves. Present radiative transfer models mainly use chlorophyll and/or water contents as input parameters to calculate leaf reflectance. Inversion of these models allows to retrieve these constituents from spectrophotometric measurements. Conel et al. recently proposed a two-stream Kubelka-Munk model to analyze the influence of protein, cellulose, lignin, and starch on leaf reflectance, but in fact, the estimation of leaf biochemistry from remote sensing is still an open question. In order to clarify it, a laboratory experiment associating visible/infrared spectra of plan leaves both with physical measurements and biochemical analyses was conducted at the Joint Research Center during the summer of 1993. This unique data set has been used to upgrade the PROSPECT model, by including leaf biochemistry