Comparison of pulmonary deposition of nebulized 99m technetium-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid through 3 inhalation devices in healthy dogs.

BACKGROUND: Inhalation treatment frequently is used in dogs and cats with chronic respiratory disease. Little is known however about the performance of delivery devices and the distribution of aerosolized drugs in the lower airways. OBJECTIVE: To assess the performance of 3 delivery devices and the impact of variable durations of inhalation on the pulmonary and extrapulmonary deposition of nebulized 99m technetium-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid (99m Tc-DTPA). ANIMALS: Ten university-owned healthy Beagle dogs. METHODS: Prospective crossover study. Dogs inhaled the radiopharmaceutical for 5 minutes either through the Aerodawg spacer with a custom-made nose-muzzle mask, the Aerochamber spacer with the same mask, or the Aerodawg spacer with its original nose mask. In addition, dogs inhaled for 1 and 3 minutes through the second device. Images were obtained by 2-dimensional planar scintigraphy. Radiopharmaceutical uptake was calculated as an absolute value and as a fraction of the registered dose in the whole body. RESULTS: Mean (±SD) lung deposition for the 3 devices was 9.2% (±5.0), 11.4% (±4.9), and 9.3% (±4.6), respectively. Differences were not statistically significant. Uptake in pulmonary and extrapulmonary tissues was significantly lower after 1-minute nebulization, but the mean pulmonary/extrapulmonary deposition ratio (0.38 ± 0.27) was significantly higher than after 5-minute nebulization (0.16 ± 0.1; P = .03). No significant differences were detected after 3- and 5-minute nebulization. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The performance of a pediatric spacer with a custom-made mask is comparable to that of a veterinary device. One-minute nebulization provides lower pulmonary uptake but achieves a better pulmonary/extrapulmonary deposition ratio than does 5-minute nebulization.

Characterization of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from Austrian companion animals and horses.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic relatedness and the antimicrobial resistance profiles of a collection of Austrian Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from companion animals and horses. A total of 12 non-repetitive isolates presumptively identified as S. pneumoniae were obtained during routinely diagnostic activities between March 2009 and January 2017. RESULTS: Isolates were confirmed as S. pneumoniae by bile solubility and optochin susceptibility testing, matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and sequence analysis of a part recA and the 16S rRNA genes. Isolates were further characterized by pneumolysin polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genotyped by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed and resistance genes were detected by specific PCR assays. All isolates were serotyped. Four sequence types (ST) (ST36, ST3546, ST6934 and ST6937) and four serotypes (3, 19A, 19F and 23F) were detected. Two isolates from twelve displayed a multidrug-resistance pheno- and genotype. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents the first comprehensive investigation on characteristics of S. pneumoniae isolates recovered from Austrian companion animals and horses. The obtained results indicate that common human sero- (23F) and sequence type (ST36) implicated in causing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) may circulate in dogs. Isolates obtained from other examined animals seem to be host-adapted.