Effects of Oral Prednisone Administration on Serum Cystatin C in Dogs.

BACKGROUND: Oral administration of glucocorticoid alters serum cystatin C (sCysC) concentration in humans. OBJECTIVE: To determine if oral administration of prednisone alters sCysC in dogs without pre-existing renal disease. ANIMALS: Forty six dogs were included: 10 dogs diagnosed with steroid responsive meningitis arteritis (SRMA; group A), 20 dogs diagnosed of pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH; group B), and 16 healthy control dogs (group C). METHODS: Retrospective observational study. SRMA diagnosed dogs were administered prednisone 4 mg/kg/24 h PO 7 days, reducing the dose to 2 mg/kg/24 h 7 days before medication withdrawal. In group A, sampling was performed at days 0, 7, 14 and a final control at day 21. Blood and urine samples were collected in the 3 groups, and in group A, sampling was performed at all time points (days 1, 7, 14, and 21). RESULTS: In group A, sCysC was significantly higher at day 7 compared to the control group (0.4 ± 0.04 mg/L vs. 0.18 ± 0.03 mg/L mean ± SEM respectively P < 0.01); sCysC values decreased to basal at day 14 when the dose was decreased and after 1 week of withdrawal of prednisone (0.27 ± 0.03 mg/L for group A at day 14 and 0.15 ± 0.02 mg/L at day 21; P > 0.05). Dogs with PDH included in group B did not have significant differences in sCysC (0.22 ± 0.03 mg/L) compared to control (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Oral administration of prednisone unlike altered endogenous glucocorticoid production, increases sCysC in dogs in a dose-dependent fashion.

Effects of medetomidine and medetomidine-butorphanol on transcranial color-coded duplex ultrasonography in healthy dogs.

The study was designed to determine the effects of two protocols of sedation, medetomidine and medetomidine-butorphanol, on cerebral blood flow (CBF) by transcranial color-coded Duplex ultrasonography in healthy dogs. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonographic examination was performed in 20 dogs before and 20 min after sedation with either medetomidine (group 1) or medetomidine-butorphanol (group 2). The left and right middle cerebral arteries (LMCA and RMCA) were evaluated using the temporal windows, and the basilar artery (BA) was studied through the suboccipital window. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), mean velocity (MV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), resistance index (RI), and pulsatility index (PI) were measured for each vessel. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were also recorded before and after sedation in both groups. Statistically significant differences were found for PSV, MV and EDV when RMCA and LMCA were interrogated before and after sedation. PSV, RI and PI were found to be statistically significantly different when the study was performed on the BA. These results should be taken in account when a transcranial Doppler is performed in dogs sedated with the mentioned protocols and it might suggest some degree of neuroprotection.

Effect of transient carotid artery compression during transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in dogs.

Changes in blood flow in the arteries of the canine skull base following compression of the ipsilateral carotid artery were evaluated. Forty healthy conscious dogs were evaluated during examination in lateral recumbency. Using the temporal window, the rostral, middle and caudal cerebral arteries were evaluated. The basilar artery was studied through the suboccipital window. Following compression, the pulse Doppler signal was reduced or inverted when interrogating the rostral or middle cerebral artery, and no change was observed when the caudal cerebral artery or basilar artery was evaluated.

[Validation in Spain of the dysfunctional ventilatory response to weaning]. / Validación en España de la respuesta ventilatoria disfuncional al destete (RVDD).

In this article we present the study financed by the Sanitary Investigations Fund (FIS), with the objectives to prove that the Nursing Diagnosis of "Dysfunctional Ventilatory Response at Weaning" (DWRU) incorporated to the taxonomy of the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA), is valid in Spain; as well as identify the items which configure its definition. A descriptive observational study was performed in nine Intensive Care Units belonging to six autonomous communities, including as study subjects 89 male and female nurses who are experts in yhe care of critically ill patients with mechanical ventilation. The model of validation proposed by Fehring and the Delphi Technique were used. The data were analysed calculating the average of the weights of each defining feature; percentage and average calculus; opinion percentages about the related factors; variability calculus; and factorial analysis of the result. The results make us conclude that Spanish nurses who have experience in taking care of critically ill patients, identify DWRU as a phenomenon which patients in our environment present and which can be treated by them. Besides, the identification of levels of DWRU into Severe, Moderate and Slight which the NANDA suggests, is better applied using an association of factors than defining higher and lower features.