The effect of the administration of three different antimicrobial premix formulations via the liquid feeding system on the occurrence of Enterobacteriaceae resistant to tetracycline in the liquid feed for pigs.

INTRODUCTION: The oral group treatment is still a common procedure in swine production. This project studied the effect of the application of 3 different formulations of antimicrobial premixes (1. chlortetracycline, 2. chlortetracycline + sulfadimidine + tylosin, 3. sulfadimidine + sulfathiazole + trimethoprim) via the liquid feeding system on the occurrence of tetracycline-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (Ent-Tetr) in the liquid feed. 156 and 112 feed samples were collected between April and December 2015 in 13 case and 14 control farms, respectively. The 27 farms were randomly selected pig fattening farms located in different parts of Switzerland. The number of feed samples that contained Ent-Tetr as well as the number of Enterobacteriaceae resistant to tetracycline per sample was significantly higher in the case group than in the control group. The use of any of the 3 antimicrobial combinations turned out to be the main risk factor for the occurrence of Ent-Tetr in the liquid feed. Our results suggest that liquid feed containing antimicrobials is a reservoir of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in swine production.

INTRODUCTION: Le traitement de groupe oral est une technique encore répandue dans la production porcine. Le présent travail étudie l'effet de l'application, au moyen du système d'alimentation liquide, de trois prémélanges de compositions différentes (1. Chlortétracycline, 2. Chlortétracycline + Sulfadimidine + Tylosine, 3. Sulfadimidine + Sulfathiazol + Trimethoprime) sur la présence d'entérobactériacées résistantes à la tétracycline (Ent-Tetr) dans l'aliment liquide. Entre avril et décembre 2015, 156 respectivement 112 échantillons d'aliments ont été prélevés dans 13 exploitations-test respectivement dans 14 exploitations de contrôle. Il s'agissait, pour ces 27 exploitations, d'exploitations d'engraissement de porcs choisies au hasard dans diverses régions de la Suisse. Le nombre d'échantillons contenant des entérobactériacées résistantes à la tétracycline ainsi que le nombre de germes Ent-Tetr par échantillon était significativement plus élevé dans les exploitations test que dans celles de contrôle. L'utilisation des formulations de prémélanges étudiées a pu être identifiée comme le facteur de risque principal de voir apparaitre des Ent-Tetr dans les aliments liquides. Ces résultats laissent à penser que, dans la production porcine, les aliments liquides contenant des antibiotiques représentent un réservoir pour les bactéries résistantes aux antibiotiques.

Wood anatomical responses of oak saplings exposed to air warming and soil drought.

Water is vital for plant performance and survival. Its scarcity, induced by a seasonal decline in soil water availability or an increase of evaporative demand, can cause failures of the water conducting system. An adequate tolerance to drought and the ability to acclimate to changing hydraulic conditions are important features for the survival of long-lived woody plants in dry environments. In this study we examine secondary growth and xylem anatomical acclimation of 6 year old saplings of three European oak species (Quercus robur, Q. petraea, Q. pubescens) during the third consecutive year of exposure to soil drought and/or air warming (from 2007 to 2009). Intra-annual pinning was applied to mark the development of the formation of the annual ring 2009. Vessel size, parenchyma cell density and fiber size produced at different time of the growing season 2009 were compared between drought and warming treatments and species. Drought reduced secondary growth and induced changes in xylem structure while air warming had little effect on wood anatomical traits. Results indicate that drought-exposed saplings adjust their xylem structure to improve resistance and repairing abilities after cavitation. All species show a significant radial growth reduction, a reduced vessel size with diminished conductivity and a slightly increased density of parenchyma cells. Comparisons between species fostered our understanding of the relationship between the inter-specific xylem hydraulic plasticity and the ecological response to drought. The stronger changes observed for Q. robur and Q. petraea indicate a lower drought tolerance than Q. pubescens.

Hydrodynamic evaluation of intravenous infusion systems.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We investigated the hydrodynamic characteristics of IV infusion sets for rapid fluid resuscitation. A simple technique has been devised for quantitative evaluation of the hydrodynamic characteristics of IV sets, including their components, for a range of infusion pressures. SETTING AND METHODS: Previous investigations have measured the overall flow rate of infusion sets with and without IV catheters. This study presents a quantitative technique for measuring the resistance to flow of the IV delivery set as a whole as well as its components. An infusion set was measured with 14- and 18-gauge IV catheters while delivering fluid at infusion pressures between 50 (gravity) and 400 mm Hg. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: At gravity-driven infusion, the drip chamber imposes a resistance to flow of the same order as that of the catheter. At pressurized infusion with small-bore catheters, the catheter consumes the majority of the overall pressure drop. At pressurized infusion with a large-bore catheter or tubing, the standard drip chamber becomes the limiting component and imposes the largest resistance to flow. CONCLUSION: At gravity-delivered pressures (50 and 100 mm Hg), the only effective way of increasing flow rate (more than twofold) is to use a low-resistance drip chamber or to use two infusion sites. At pressurized delivery pressures (more than 200 mm Hg), increasing catheter size from 18 to 14 gauge would be more effective than doubling the number of infusion sets. Also, a more efficient drip chamber adds an important advantage. Finally, increasing the tubing diameter adds only minimal benefit.

Performance characteristics of pressure infusors.

Pressure infusion devices (PID) are used in trauma hospitals and in military applications to enhance rapid fluid replacement of hypovolemic shocked patients. This work presents a simple inexpensive technique for evaluation of the performance characteristics of pressure infusors. Pressure-volume and volume-time curves of pneumatic and spring-activated infusors have been derived for pressurized infusion with various output resistances. Three indices of performance are suggested for evaluation of pressure infusors: the energy to discharge fluid from the bag, efficiency index and time required to empty 50% of the bag.

Performance characteristics of pressure infusors.

Pressure infusion devices (PID) are used in trauma hospitals and in military applications to enhance rapid fluid replacement of hypovolemic shocked patients. This work presents a simple inexpensive technique for evaluation of the performance characteristics of pressure infusors. Pressure-volume and volume-time curves of pneumatic and spring-activated infusors have been derived for pressurized infusion with various output resistances. Three indices of performance are suggested for evaluation of pressure infusors: the energy of discharge fluid from the bag, efficiency index and time required to empty 50% of the bag.

Medical devices for military use.

Medical devices for military use (MDMU) may exist in the following environments: fixed health care facilities, long-term emergency storage, and field. This article will focus on the unique features and specifications required from MDMU in general and in the field in particular. The military clinical engineering tasks as they pertain to MDMU with reference to the experience in the Israel Defence Forces will be discussed.

Civilian-military health services contingency program for a mass casualty situation and wartime in Israel.

The Israeli civilian-military health services contingency program for mass and wartime casualties has more than four decades of experience. The contingency program includes key civilian and military organizations that are involved in the planning, policy making and delivery of health care and support services to the wounded. During the Persian Gulf war the unified civilian and military command--the supreme hospitalization authority--implemented a national hospital and emergency medical services preparedness system designed to treat the victims of chemical warfare attacks.

An argument for equipping civilian hospitals with a multiple respirator system for a chemical warfare mass casualty situation.

During the Persian Gulf war, the entire Israeli population was under the threat of chemical missiles. One of the main effects of chemical agents (e.g., organophosphorus) is respiratory distress, which requires treatment with mechanical ventilation and oxygen enrichment. In the event of a chemical missile attack, the civilian hospitals may enter a state of insufficiency for treating such victims due to the limited amount of equipment, staff and oxygen/air sources. A possible technological solution is a multiple respirator system (MRS) with a multiple oxygen enrichment system designed for use in the battlefield. The advantages of these technologies in the civilian hospital setting during a chemical mass casualty situation are: (a) rapid deployment, (b) high transportability, (c) capability of operation in any location, (d) modularity, and (e) less medical staff for operation. Two types of MRS are described and issues concerning their selection are discussed. The authorities responsible for national health policy may wish to adopt and incorporate these technologies into their hospital and emergency services preparedness system.

The use of the CO2 laser in pilonidal sinus disease: preliminary results of an ambulatory prospective study.

During a period of 18 months, from January 1988 to June 1989, 70 patients were treated for pilonidal sinus disease in a Multi-Specialty Military Clinic. There were 62 men and 8 women, with a median age of 19 years (range 18 to 35). All were managed as outpatients under local anesthesia. When an abscess was involved, the surgical procedure included incision, drainage, curettage, peroxide irrigation, and CO2 laser therapy. For the other processes, the surgical procedure included excision of sinus tissue and lateral fistulas, curettage, peroxide irrigation, and CO2 laser therapy with secondary healing. Morbidity was minimal. Healing time ranged from 14 days to 8 weeks, yet most sinuses healed in 4 weeks. The complications observed--pain, bleeding, and skin bridging--were minor. All recurrences but three were minor and healed completely after additional local treatment (4.3 percent major recurrences). Preliminary satisfactory results are reported, supporting a more conservative approach in the treatment of this often overtreated disease.

[The correspondence between pain stimulus and pain sensation.]. / Zur Korrespondenz von Schmerzreiz und Schmerzerleben.

The relationship between painful pressure stimuli and induced pain intensity was examined. For experimental pain stimulation in 26 subjects, randomized local pressure on the middle phalanxes of fingers II-IV was used (pressure area 2.56 mm(2), six different pressure levels, three different pressure times). The induced pain intensity was measured by the category splitting procedure. Our results demonstrate that the pain intensity is proportional to the logarithm of the pressure stimulus. This finding is predicted by Fechner's law. The intraindividual and interindividual deviations are normally distributed. The retest reliability between measurements in the morning and in the evening amount to 0.98. Thus, the procedure can be used to objectify the pain intensity experienced.