Evaluation of outcome associated with feline trauma: A Veterinary Committee on Trauma registry study

Objective

To evaluate outcome (survival to discharge) among trauma types (blunt, penetrating, both) in cats. Secondary objectives were to evaluate for associations between trauma type, injury severity, and the diagnostics and interventions selected by primary clinicians.

Design

Retrospective evaluation of veterinary trauma registry data.

Setting

Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT) veterinary trauma centers (VTCs).

Animals

A total of 3895 feline trauma patients entered in the VetCOT trauma registry from April 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019.

Interventions

Data collected included patient demographics, trauma type, Abdominal Fluid Score (AFS), Animal Trauma Triage (ATT) score, surgical intervention, glide sign on Thoracic Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma, Triage, and Tracking (TFAST), pleural effusion on TFAST, modified Glasgow Coma Scale (mGCS), and outcome (survival to discharge).

Measurements and Main Results

Data from 3895 cats were collected over a 30-month period. Incidence of trauma types was as follows: blunt, 58% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 56%–59%); penetrating, 35% (95% CI: 34%–37%); and combination, 7.4% (95% CI: 6.7%–8.3%). Differences in survival incidence among the trauma types were identified: blunt, 80% (95% CI: 78%–81%); penetrating, 90% (95% CI: 89%–92%); and combined, 68% (95% CI: 63%–74%) (P < 0.01). Cats in the penetrating trauma group had the lowest proportion of severe injuries (6%) and highest proportion of mGCS of 18 (89%); cats with combined trauma had the highest proportion of severe injuries (26%) and lowest proportion of mGCS of 18 (63%). Point-of-care ultrasound and surgery were not performed in the majority of cases. When surgery was performed, the majority of blunt cases’ procedures occurred in the operating room (79%), and the majority of penetrating cases’ procedures were performed in the emergency room (81%).

Conclusions

Cats suffering from penetrating trauma had the best outcome (survival), lower ATT scores, and higher mGCS overall. Cats that sustained a component of blunt trauma had a lower survival rate, higher ATT scores, and the highest proportion of mGCS <18.     

THE SONOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF CHRONIC PROLIFERATIVE SYNOVITIS IN THE METACARPOPHALANGEAL JOINTS OF A HORSE

Chronic proliferative synovitis is an insidious condition affecting the metacarpophalangeal joints of horses. It results in proliferation of the synovium in the dorsal pouch of the joint in question. Treatment involves surgical excision, thus confirmation of the lesion is important. Classically this has been achieved by means of positive-contrast arthrography, but this article addresses the attributes of ultrasonography, a less invasive imaging technique.     

An alternative approach for sustainable sheep meat production:implications for food security

Background:A pelleted diet containing camelina hay (CAMH) or camelina meal (CAMM) as a supplement along with a control pellet (CONT) diet formulated with common...     

Correlations and variance among species traits explain contrasting impacts of fragmentation and habitat loss on functional diversity

Landscape Ecology - Understanding how landscape fragmentation affects functional diversity, defined as the distribution of functional traits in an assemblage, is critical for managing landscapes...     

Soil Invertebrates Generate Microplastics From Polystyrene Foam Debris

To fully understand microplastics'' impact on soil ecosystems, one must recognize soil organisms as not just passively enduring their negative effects, but potentially contributing to microplastics'' formation, distribution, and dynamics in soil. We investigated the ability of four soil invertebrates, the cricket Gryllodes sigillatus Walker (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), the isopod Oniscus asellus L. (Isopoda: Oniscidae), larvae of the beetle Zophobas morio Fabricius (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), and the snail Cornu aspersum Müller (Stylommatophora: Helicidae) to fragment macroscopic pieces of weathered or pristine polystyrene (PS) foam. We placed invertebrates into arenas with single PS foam pieces for 24 h, then collected and assessed the microplastic content of each invertebrate''s fecal material, its cadaver, and the sand substrate of its arena via hydrogen peroxide digestion, filtration, and fluorescent staining. All taxa excreted PS particles, though snails only to a tiny extent. Beetle larvae produced significantly more microplastics than snails, and crickets and isopods fragmented the weathered PS foam pieces more than the pristine pieces, which they left untouched. A follow-up experiment with pristine PS foam assessed the effect of different treatments mimicking exposure to the elements on fragmentation by isopods. PS foam pieces soaked in a soil suspension were significantly more fragmented than untreated pieces or pieces exposed to UV light alone. These findings indicate that soil invertebrates may represent a source of microplastics to the environment in places polluted with PS foam trash, and that the condition of macroplastic debris likely affects its palatability to these organisms.