Development and Field Validation of Lidocaine-Loaded Castration Bands for Bovine Pain Mitigation.

Castration is among the most common management procedures performed in the dairy and beef cattle industries and is mainly performed by surgery or elastic banding. Despite the various benefits of castration, all methods produce pain and distress. Castration by banding is simple, inexpensive, produces fewer complications, and can be performed in a high-throughput manner. Because lidocaine, a local anesthetic, can be delivered to trauma sites topically, we have formulated lidocaine-loaded castration bands (LLBs) to deliver local pain relief to calves during banded castration. The initial lidocaine content of three band types developed was between 80 and 200 mg per band. The transfer kinetics of lidocaine into tissue was determined in vitro, indicating a rapid release for the first 30 min, followed by a slow release lasting at least 48 h. Furthermore, the lidocaine delivery and pain mitigation effects of these LLBs were compared to standard lidocaine injections in vivo. Field studies indicated that LLBs performed at least as well as lidocaine injections for short-term lidocaine delivery into tissues and pain mitigation. Moreover, LLBs significantly outperformed lidocaine injections for long-term delivery and pain mitigation. The concentrations of lidocaine in the LLB-treated tissue samples were generally in the range of 0.5-3.5 mg of lidocaine per gram of tissue and were overall highest after 6 h. Lidocaine-loaded elastration bands deliver therapeutic quantities of lidocaine into scrotal tissues over a period of at least seven days in cattle. This approach would provide long-term pain mitigation to the animals and, by avoiding surgery or the administration of injections, would also decrease the time and handling costs for the producer.

Ridge Preservation Comparing a Nonresorbable PTFE Membrane to a Resorbable Collagen Membrane: A Clinical and Histologic Study in Humans.

PURPOSE: The primary aim of this randomized, controlled, blinded clinical trial was to compare the effect of a resorbable collagen membrane (CM group) versus a nonresorbable high-density polytetrafluoroethylene membrane (PTFE group) on the clinical and histologic outcomes of a ridge preservation procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All 24 sites received an intrasocket cancellous allograft and a buccal overlay bovine derived xenograft. RESULTS: The change in horizontal crestal ridge width was -1.4 ± 1.2 mm for the CM group, whereas the PTFE group lost -2.2 ± 1.5 mm, which was not statistically significant between groups (P > 0.05). Vertical ridge height change was -1.2 ± 1.5 for the CM group, whereas the PTFE group lost -0.5 ± 1.6, which was not significantly different between groups (P > 0.05). The percent vital bone was similar and not significantly different between groups. Primary closure was not obtained and the exposed membrane portion over the socket opening healed with keratinized tissue. CONCLUSION: The choice of a resorbable versus a nonresorbable barrier membrane did not affect the clinical or the histologic outcome of ridge preservation treatment.

An in vivo rabbit model for the evaluation of antimicrobial peripherally inserted central catheter to reduce microbial migration and colonization as compared to an uncoated PICC.

Infection is the leading complication associated with intravascular devices, and these infections develop when a catheter becomes colonized by microorganisms. To combat this issue, medical device manufacturers seek to provide healthcare facilities with antimicrobial medical devices to prevent or reduce the colonization. In order to adequately evaluate these devices, an in vivo model is required to accurately assess the performance of the antimicrobial devices in a clinical setting. The model presented herein was designed to provide a simulation of the subcutaneous tunnel environment to evaluate the ability of an antimicrobial peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), coated with chlorhexidine based technology, to reduce microbial migration and colonization compared to an uncoated PICC. Three samples of control, uncoated PICCs and three samples of coated PICCs were surgically tunneled into the backs of female New Zealand White rabbits. The insertion sites were then challenged with Staphylococcus aureus at the time of implantation. Animals were evaluated out to thirty days and sacrificed. Complete en bloc dissection and evaluation of the catheter and surrounding tissue demonstrated that the chlorhexidine coated catheter was able to significantly reduce microbial colonization and prevent microbial migration as compared to the standard, un-treated catheter.