Acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndromes in veterinary medicine: consensus definitions: The Dorothy Russell Havemeyer Working Group on ALI and ARDS in Veterinary Medicine

Background: As veterinary medicine has become more sophisticated, with greater numbers of veterinary patients receiving intensive care, more patients with an acute respiratory distress (ARDS)‐like syndrome have been recognized. Methods: A consensus definition meeting was held for the purpose of developing veterinary‐specific definitions for acute lung injury (ALI) and ARDS. Results/conclusions: Three clinically based definitions for acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress‐like syndromes occurring in veterinary patients were described. Neonatal equine respiratory distress syndrome (NERDS) was defined separately due to the specific requirement for primary developmental surfactant dysfunction and lack of an inflammatory component. Five diagnostic criteria categories were established for Veterinary ALI/ARDS (Vet ALI/ARDS) with 4 required and a fifth highly recommended criteria. A strong consensus was reached that onset of respiratory distress must have been acute and that known risk factors must be present. Additional criteria included evidence of pulmonary capillary leak with no evidence of increased pulmonary capillary pressure, evidence of inefficient gas exchange and, finally, evidence of inflammation. Some features of ALI/ARDS in the neonatal horse were recognized as unique, therefore, equine neonatal ALI/ARDS (EqNALI/EqNARDS) was similarly defined but with a graded gas exchange inefficiency table to allow for normal developmental changes in gas exchange. Use of these definitions in planning prospective studies of these problems in veterinary patients should allow for more direct comparisons of studies and clinical trials, with a larger goal of improving outcome in veterinary patients.     

Comparison of dogs with septic peritonitis: 1988–1993 versus 1999–2003

Objective: To describe and compare the patient population, treatment, and outcome in dogs with septic peritonitis from 2 time periods at the same institution. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: The Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania. Animals: Dogs treated surgically for septic peritonitis between 1988–1993 and 1999–2003. Interventions: None. Measurements: Preoperative physical and clinicopathologic data, surgical findings, anesthetic parameters, treatment, and outcome. Main results: No significant difference in survival among dogs treated surgically for septic peritonitis between 1988 and 1993 (21/33 [64%]) and 1999–2003 (29/51 [57%]) was detected. The patient populations of the two time periods were similar. Changes in treatment between the study periods reflected availability of new antibiotics and synthetic colloids, as well as greater attention to pain management and ulcer prevention. Duration of hospitalization was not significantly different between the two time periods, but the daily cost adjusted to 2005 dollars was higher in 1999–2003. Potential prognostic indicators were compared between survivors and non‐survivors after combining the data from both time periods, and although several parameters reached statistical significance, of greatest clinical significance were the higher blood pressure and preoperative serum albumin in survivors. Conclusions: Although new treatments were added to the supportive care of dogs with septic peritonitis, survival did not change sufficiently to detect a significant difference between the time periods evaluated. Identifying reliable prognostic indicators for septic peritonitis remains a challenge, but hypotension and decreased preoperative serum albumin were associated with non‐survival in this group of dogs.     

CEREBRAL RESPONSES IN HORSES TO HALOTHANE AND ISOFLURANE ANAESTHESIA: EEG POWER SPECTRUM ANALYSIS AND DIFFERENCES IN ARTERIOVENOUS OXYGEN CONTENT.

In a prospective study we compared the EEG variables total amplitude (TA), 80% spectral edge frequency (SEF-80), the ratio of fractional amplitudes distributed into the BETA and DELTA frequency band (BETA/DELTA-ratio), and differences in arteriovenous oxygen content (AVD0₂), obtained from horses anaesthetized with either halothane (H; n=4) or isoflurane (I; n=4) in oxygen. All horses underwent orthopaedic procedures. After premedication with xylazine (0.88 mg/kg IV), anaesthesia was induced with diazepam (0.033 mg/kg IV) and ketamine (2.2 mg/kg IV). During anaesthesia horses were ventilated using IPPV. EEG variables and AVD0₂ were recorded at equal levels of surgical anaesthesia (stage III/1–2), as determined by clinical signs and a dominant delta activity in the EEG power spectrum. PaC0₂was kept between 35 mmHg and 45 mmHg, PaO₂above 100 mmHg, and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was adjusted to at least 80 mmHg. The average body temperature was 35.4 ± 1.1°C (H) and 35.6 ± 0.7°C (I), respectively. In horses anaesthetized with I, TA was significantly higher (P<01) (I: 3533 ± 70 γV; H: 235.9 ± 63.4 γV), whereas SEF-80 (I: 10.7 ± 0.7 Hz; H: 12.4 ± 0.7 Hz) and BETA/DELTA-ratio (I: 035 ± 0.06; H: 0.53 ± 0.12) were significantly lower (P<01) compared with H. We also observed significantly lower (P<05) AVD02 values with I (1.5 ± 0.5 Vol%) than with H (2.0 ± 1.2 Vol%). Since a depression in cerebral activity during anaesthesia is characterized by a decrease in EEG frequency content and a concomitant increase in EEG amplitude, the authors conclude that at equal levels of surgical anaesthesia, isoflurane exerts a more pronounced depression in cerebral electrical and metabolic activity in horses.     

Phytochemische Untersuchungen an Pflanzen der einheimischen Flora und des Gaterslebener Sortiments

Zusammenfassung In Fortsetzung früherer Untersuchungen wurden weitere 104 Pflanzenarten aus 24 Familien der einheimischen Flora und des Gaterslebener Sortiments nach einem Standardverfahren orientierend auf vorkommende Alkaloide, Saponine, Sterine und weitere Triterpenoide geprüft.

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Summary In continuation of earlier described investigations 104 further plant species from 24 families of the indigenous flora and of the sortiment in Gatersleben have been studied preliminarily for occurring alkaloids, saponins, sterols and other triterpenoids using a standard procedure.

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am ¶rt;au . 104 24 «», «», «» «».

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I. Mitteilung: Aurich und Mitarb. (1965).     

Über die Anwendbarkeit der Liebermann-Burchard-Reaktion auf stickstoffhaltige SteroideSolanum-Alkaloide. XXXVIII. Mitteilung

Zusammenfassung Von 51 überprüften stickstoffhaltigen Steroiden mit bzw ohne ⁵-Doppelbindung (Solanum-Steroidalkaloide, N-haltige Cholestan- und Pregnan-Derivate) gaben lediglich 3 eine positive Liebermann-Burchard-Reaktion: N-Acetyltomatidadien, N-Acetyl-solasodien und Dihydrosolasodin A. Auch eine Anzahl ⁵-ungesättigter Steroidsapogenine und stickstofffreier Pregnan-Derivate zeigte eine nur schwache Farbreaktion.

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Summary To obtain information about the value and limitations of the Liebermann-Burchard reaction 51 nitrogenous steroids with or without ⁵ double bond have been tested. Only 3 of them show a positive colour reaction: the N-acetyl derivatives of tomatidadiene and solasodiene as well as the dihydrosolasodine A. Also some ⁵-unsaturated steroidal sapogenins and nitrogen-free pregnane derivatives produce colours of only slight intensity.

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am ¶rt;u 51 ⁵- ( Solanum, ) 3 -: N--, N-- . ⁵ - .

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XXXVII. Mitteil.: Schreiber, K., 1964. — Liebigs Ann. Chem.674, 168–175.     

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