Evaluation of two mattresses for equine surgery : air mattress and a surgery table with a thin mattress

Komplikationer efter anestesi är ett vanligt förekommande problem hos hästar. Postoperativ myopati och neuropati är exempel på komplikationer som kan uppkomma. Tillstånden som nämnts uppstår bland annat till följd av ett för högt tryck på hästens muskulatur under generell anestesi. För att undvika postoperativa tryckskador, som myo- och neuropati, kan användning av en operationsmadrass bidra till ett lägre tryck på hästens muskulatur. Positionering av hästen under anestesi är också en viktig faktor. Genom korrekt positionering minskas trycket på den underliggande muskulaturen. Syftet med kandidatarbetet var att undersöka vilken av två operationsmadrasser som gav det lägsta trycket på hästens muskulatur samt att bidra med ny kunskap om ämnet. En jämförelse av de två olika operationsmadrasserna; en luftmadrass och ett operationsbord med en tunn madrass, har genomförts. Data samlades in från en icke publicerad experimentell studie gjord år 2009. I kandidatarbetet genomfördes även en litteraturstudie inom ämnet och denna jämfördes mot den experimentella studien. Hypotesen var att det fanns en skillnad i tryck mellan häst och madrass beroende på vilket material madrassen var tillverkad av. Resultatet från den experimentella studien visade en signifikant skillnad i tryck på hästarnas muskulatur, i jämförelsen mellan operationsmadrasserna. Luftmadrassen gav ett lägre tryck på hästens lår- och tricepsmuskulatur jämfört med operationsbordet med den tunna madrassen, som orsakade nästan ett dubbelt så högt tryck. Tidigare studier som genomförts inom ämnet har kommit fram till att användning av en operationsmadrass, jämfört med att enbart lägga hästen på ett operationsbord, gav ett lägre tryck på hästens muskulatur. En operationsmadrass tillåter en bättre genomblödning till musklerna och det blir en signifikant minskning i risken för utvecklandet av tryckskador. Vidare studier krävs för att undersöka sambandet mellan hästar, operationsmadrasser, intramuskulärt tryck och postoperativa komplikationer. Vidare studier krävs även för att undersöka skillnaden i vilken eller vilka operationsmadrasser som är mest fördelaktiga och som ger bäst resultat för hästars återhämtning efter anestesi. Resultaten från detta kandidatarbete är en indikation på att användning av en operationsmadrass är fördelaktigt vid anestesi av hästar. Det är även en indikation på att användandet av en operationsmadrass minskar risken för utvecklandet av postoperativ myo- och neuropati.Complications after anesthesia are a common problem in equine veterinary care. Postoperative myopathy and neuropathy are examples of complications that may arise. The conditions mentioned can among other things arise as a result of excessive pressure on the musculature of the horse under general anesthesia. To avoid post-operative pressure injuries, such as myo- and neuropathy, the use of a surgery mattress can contribute to a lower pressure on the musculature of the horse. The positioning of the horse, under anesthesia, is also an important factor. By proper positioning, the pressure on the underlying muscles is reduced. The aim of this study was to examine which type of surgical mattress that gave the lowest pressure on the musculature of the horse. A comparison of two operating mattresses; an air mattress and an operating table with a thin foam mattress, have been implemented. Data were collected from an unpublished experimental study done in 2009. In this bachelor thesis, a literature study was also conducted within the subject and this was compared against the experimental study. The hypothesis was that there is a difference in pressure between the horse and the mattress depending on the material of the mattress. The results of the experimental study showed a significant difference in pressure on the horse’s musculature, in the comparison between the two surgery mattresses. The air mattress gave a lower pressure on the horse's thigh and triceps muscles compared to the operating table which gave almost twice the pressure. Previous studies have concluded that the use of a surgery mattress, compared to putting the horse on a surgery table, gave a lower pressure on the musculature of the horse. A surgery mattress allows a better blood flow to the muscles and there is a significant reduction in the risk of developing pressure injuries. Further studies are needed to examine the connection between horses, surgery mattresses, intramuscular pressure and postoperative complications. Further studies are also needed to examine the difference in which mattresses are most advantageous and which gives the best results for the recovery of the horse after anesthesia. The results of this bachelor thesis indicate that the use of a surgical mattress is advantageous in the anesthesia of horses. It is also an indication that the use of a surgery mattress reduces the risk of developing postoperative myo- and neuropathy

Mission Completed? Changing Visibility of Women's Colleges in England and Japan and Their Roles in Promoting Gender Equality in Science

The global community, from UNESCO to NGOs, is committed to promoting the status of women in science, engineering and technology, despite long-held prejudices and the lack of role models. Previously, when equality was not firmly established as a key issue on international or national agendas, women’s colleges played a great role in mentoring female scientists. However, now that a concerted effort has been made by governments, the academic community and the private sector to give women equal opportunities, the raison d’être of women’s universities seems to have become lost. This paper argues otherwise, by demonstrating that women’s universities in Japan became beneficiaries of government initiatives since the early 2000s to reverse the low ratio of women in scientific research. The paper underscores the importance of the reputation of women’s universities embedded in their institutional foundations, by explaining how female scientific communities take shape in different national contexts. England, as a primary example of a neoliberal welfare regime, with its strong emphasis on equality and diversity, promoted its gender equality policy under the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry. By contrast, with a strong emphasis on family values and the male-breadwinner model, the Japanese government carefully treated the goal of supporting female scientists from the perspective of the equal participation of both men and women rather than that of equality. Following this trend, rather contradictorily, women’s universities, with their tradition of fostering a ‘good wife, wise mother image, began to be highlighted as potential gender-free institutions that provided role models and mentoring female scientists. By drawing on the cases of England and Japan, this paper demonstrates how the idea of equality can be framed differently, according to wider institutional contexts, and how this idea impacts on gender policies.Author has checked copyrightAM