[Fattening bull raising--alternative housing on slatted floors]. / Mastbullenhaltung--Alternativen in der Spaltenbodenhaltung.

Rubber topped slatted floor gives more lying comfort to intensive fed fattening bulls, reduces risks of integument lesions as well as increases their locomotion comfort. On the other side there are more fissured alterations and defects in the sole and heel horn due to lack of sufficient wear away which often made the bearing surface to be overgrown. Overgrown claws are also seen on solid slatted floors, but these horn parts were normally grated down in short time that frequently goes along with abrasions of the claw peak and the wall horn as well. The current experiences of our study show favour to the use of a floor that combines hard and soft qualities. Weak claw performance and health has a link to a bad state of cleanness of the pens and the animals as well and must be assessed with regard to permanent wetness on the grounds. Animals out of greater pens are less dirty because the solid floor becomes sooner dry than in cases with higher crowding degrees of animals. More space per animal and higher comfort gives chance for higher daily weight gain. The recordings and evaluations of this project are still in progress.

Effect of restoration of AV synchrony on stroke volume, exercise capacity, and quality-of-life: can we predict the beneficial effect of a pacemaker upgrade?

The aim of this study was to assess to what extent patients with VVIR pacemakers and without overt symptoms of a pacemaker syndrome benefit from a pacemaker upgrade, and if a preoperative noninvasive measurement of the change in stroke volume (SV) could predict the effect of a pacemaker upgrade. The study group consisted of 20 (12 women, 8 men) VVIR patients with a mean age of 60 years. The indication for the first implantation was AV block in 13 patients and SSS in 7. The mean time of a ventricular pacing was 77 months. The objective (echocardiography, an exercise capacity) and the subjective (the quality-of-life) parameters investigated in patients during ventricular pacing were compared to results obtained 2 months and 1 year after a pacemaker upgrade. To assess preoperatively a change in a SV expected after upgrading, attempts were made to restore AV synchronization by the use of a transesophageal pacemaker. An increase in SV (from 5% to > 35%) during temporary AV resynchronization was observed in each patient. Values of SV increase correlated with those obtained 2 months (r = 0.65; P < 0.01) and 1 year (r = 0.66; P < 0.01) after an upgrade. Superior hemodynamics was associated with a significant improvement of an exercise capacity in both subgroups of patients. The most significant improvement in the quality-of-life was observed in patients with SSS. We did not find correlations between SV and the quality-of-life assessed 2 months (r = 0.043; NS) or 1 year (r = 0.02; NS) after an upgrade. In conclusion, a pacemaker upgrade performed after a long-term ventricular pacing resulted almost consistently in the improvement of hemodynamics and was associated with an increase of exercise capacity. In patients with SSS it was followed by the significant improvement of their quality-of-life. Such a relation was not observed in patients with AV block as some of them (especially those with VVIR pacemakers) felt quite well during ventricular pacing. The proposed preoperative echocardiographic evaluation may precisely predict the degree of hemodynamic improvement expected after a pacemaker upgrade.

[Voluntary testing procedures of farm animal housing equipment according to the Animal Welfare Act of 1998]. / Freiwilliges Prüfverfahren für Stalleinrichtungen entsprechend dem novellierten Tierschutzgesetz von 1998.

Before its broad application in practice, housing equipment should be tested, in particular with regard to animal welfare. The differing positions of the German Federal Council (Bundesrat) and the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag), whether such testing should be mandatory or voluntary, have been conciliated in the amended animal welfare act by empowering the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries (BML) to fix official standards for voluntary testing procedures by regulation. On request of the BML, a report as scientific basis for a draft regulation is currently prepared by the scientific animal welfare committee of the German Agricultural Society (DLG). The scientific animal welfare committee has been appointed by the DLG in order to provide support in the effort to strengthen animal welfare aspects in the DLG-utility testing procedure of housing equipment, which is in place since 1953. The committee elaborates standards concerning testing methods, assessment criteria and the necessary size of investigations. As required, the scientific animal welfare committee may support the DLG-testing bodies in the implementation of the animal welfare part of the testing procedure. It will, moreover, be involved in the welfare assessment based on the testing results. The amendments of the already established testing procedure will help to fulfill the general requirements on an acceptable animal welfare testing procedure. While keeping in mind that there are certain limits in what can be achieved by a voluntary testing procedure, the enhanced consideration of animal welfare aspects within the DLG-utility testing procedure has the advantage to be relatively unbureaucratic and in line with EU legislation, and is, therefore, an appropriate tool for a contibrution to improved animal welfare in livestock housing.

[Maturational quality, adaptation reactions and clinical-chemical blood values in automatically milk-fed bred milk calves]. / Entwicklungsqualität, Adaptationsreaktionen und klinisch-chemische Blutwerte von am Tränkeautomaten aufgezogenen Milchrindkälbern.

Calves of the dairy herd were used for this investigation. Body weight and growth rate were measured at 4, 6, 10, 12 and 13 weeks of life and venous blood acid base status, gas content, creatinine, urea, total protein, Ca, Mg, P, Na, K, Cl, Fe and catecholamine content at 15 days and at 90 days of age as well. Changes of blood values were analyzed in connection with growth performance and with the blood values of calves at 15 days of age testing the individually different degrees of adaptation and development.

Pacemaker electrode implantation in patients with persistent left superior vena cava.

Four out of 661 consecutive patients with permanent endocardial VVI pacing had the pacing lead introduced through a persistent left superior vena cava. It was difficult to introduce the lead from the right atrium into the right ventricle because the tip of the lead tended to be deflected away from the tricuspid orifice. This difficulty was overcome by shaping the lead into a pigtail with 3-4 cm wide loop. This avoided the risk of entering a branch of the coronary sinus in order to reach the right atrium. This technique made it easier to position the lead in the right ventricular apex. There were no complications in these four patients during a mean follow up of three years.

[The case of the "runaway pacemaker"]. / Przypadek "runaway pacemaker".

A case of a runaway pacemaker is described. Malfunctioning pacemaker produced stimuli with changeable amplitude and fast rate. It was a reason of intermittent capture, producing a variable ventricular rate; periods of life-threatening pacemaker-induced ventricular tachycardia or uneffective stimulation with slow ventricular escape rhythm. Although runaway pacemaker is a rare complication in modern pacemakers, but it still exists. It usually occurs as an emergency situation requiring immediate correction.

Functionless retained pacing leads in the cardiovascular system. A complication of pacemaker treatment.

Twenty one patients with retained endocardial pacemaker leads were followed during a total observation period of 1097 months to assess the incidence of complications. Two patients developed thrombosis and occlusion of the superior vena cava, which was relieved by the development of a collateral venous circulation. In one patient the broken tip of the lead migrated to a pulmonary artery but did not cause overt complications. The remaining patients were free of symptoms. One patient died for reasons unconnected with pacemaker treatment. The good toleration of retained pacemaker leads by most patients indicates that major surgical procedures to remove the lead should be reserved for patients with life threatening complications, such as persistent infection or dangerous migration of the lead or both.

Major venous thrombosis: a complication of transvenous pacemaker electrodes.

Two patients with transvenous permanent pacemakers developed thrombosis and occlusion of the superior vena cava around a broken pacing wire, with clot extending into the innominate, subclavian, and axillary veins. Both patients had symptoms and signs of the superior vena cava syndrome which failed to resolve despite anticoagulant and thrombolytic treatment. Obstruction to venous flow, however, was relieved in large measure by the development of collateral venous channels. One of the patients has shown mild symptoms for two years and the other for two months of follow-up. It is suggested that anticoagulant prophylaxis should be given to all patients with a broken wire which cannot easily be removed.

Acute myocardial infarction--prehospital and posthospital phases.

The prognosis of acute myocardial infarction depends to a large extent on quick access to medical facilities, preferably in a hospital. Total delay in hospitalization (THD) consists of patient's delay (PD--time from the onset of the attack to the call for a doctor), doctor's delay (DD--time from the call for a doctor to his arrival), and hospitalization delay (HD--time from the doctor's arrival to the admission in a hospital). In a group of 507 cases of acute myocardial infarction the median THD was 215 min., PD--95 min., DD--20 min., HD--35 min. Better interpretation of symptoms both by the patient and the doctor seems to be one of the most effective means of shortening the total hospitalization delay. The final outcome of infarction in terms of the patient's return to normal life depends on proper rehabilitation and treatment in the posthospital phase.