Nylon cable band reactions in ovariohysterectomized bitches.

Nylon cable bands used as ligatures caused postsurgical complications in 5 ovariohysterectomized bitches. Clinical signs included fever, stiffness, strangury, draining fistulae, vaginal discharge, and tenesmus. Most signs first appeared several years after surgery, and all signs were resolved after removal of the bands. On the basis of our experience, we suggest that nylon cable bands not be used for ovariohysterectomy ligations.     

Assessment of the quality of tests for the detection of antibodies to Aujeszky's disease virus glycoprotein gE in a target population by the use of receiver operating characteristic curves

The performance of tests for the detection of antibodies to Aujeszky's disease virus glycoprotein E (ge) in a target population was evaluated by constructing and analysing receiver operating characteristic (roc) curves. These curves assess the discriminating ability of a test over the entire range of test signals. The advantages of applying the analysis to a sample of the target population (all commercial pigs in the Netherlands), as compared to using a panel of test sera, are that the estimates of sensitivity and specificity, the comparisons between tests and the choices of the cut-off values are all relevant for the target population. The results of a gE-elisa in colostrum (test A) and in a single droplet of whole blood (test B) were compared with the results obtained with the same elisa in serum (gold standard). The area under the ROC curve, which is a quantitative measure of test performance, was significantly (P<0·01) smaller with test A than test B or the gold standard, indicating that test B performed better than test A. No significant difference was observed between test B and the gold standard.