Clinical-pathological findings of otitis media and media-interna in calves and (clinical) evaluation of a standardized therapeutic protocol.

BACKGROUND: The aims of this field trial were to describe the clinical-pathologic findings in calves with otitis media (OM) and media-interna (OMI), to evaluate, through the development of a scoring system, the effectiveness of a standardized therapeutic protocol, and to identify the causative pathogens and their possible correlation with concurrent respiratory disease. All animals underwent physical and neurological examinations at three experimental time points: at diagnosis/beginning of treatment (T0), 1 week (T1) and 2 weeks (T2) after therapy was started, respectively. Follow-up telephone interviews with animal owners were conducted 1 month later. The therapeutic protocol consisted of tulathromycin (Draxxin®; Zoetis), oxytetracycline hydrochloride (Terramicina 100®; Zoetis), and carprofen (Rimadyl®; Zoetis). RESULTS: Twenty-two calves were enrolled. Physical and otoscopic examination at T0 revealed monolateral and bilateral otorrhea in 16 and 6 calves, respectively, with peripheral vestibular system involvement in calves presenting with neurological signs (n = 17; 77 %). A significant improvement of clinical and neurological scores was observed in 20 (90 %) calves, a full recovery in only 1 (5 %). One calf worsened between T0 and T1 and it was removed from the study. None of the other animals showed a worsening of clinical conditions and/or required further treatments at one month follow up. Mycoplasma bovis was isolated in 89 % of the affected ears either alone or together with P. multocida (n = 5), Streptococcus spp. (n = 1), Staphylococcus spp. (n = 1), and Pseudomonas spp. (n = 1). M. bovis either alone or together with these bacteria was also isolated from the upper and/or lower respiratory tract in 19 (86 %) calves. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first prospective study to evaluate the effectiveness of a standardized therapeutic protocol for the treatment of OM/OMI in calves. The therapy led to clinical improvement in the majority of the calves. Persistence of mild clinical-neurological signs did not compromise productive performance. The numerical scoring system for clinical and neurological signs permitted objective evaluation of response to therapy. M. bovis was the pathogen most often isolated. This finding should be considered in the treatment of OM/OMI in calves. Moreover, respiratory tract infection should not be underrated, since it is one of the major risk factors for the development of OM/OMI.

Dipyrone for acute primary headaches.

BACKGROUND: Dipyrone is used to treat headaches in many countries, but is not available in others (particularly the USA and UK) because of its association with potentially life-threatening blood dyscrasias such as agranulocytosis. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness and safety of dipyrone for acute primary headaches in adults and children. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Pain, Palliative & Supportive Care Group's Trials Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; MEDLINE; EMBASE; LILACS, and the reference lists of included studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: Double-blind randomised controlled trials of dipyrone for the symptomatic relief of acute primary headaches in adults and children. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Three authors independently screened articles, extracted data, assessed trial quality and analysed results. Relative risks (RRs), risk differences (RDs), weighted mean differences (WMDs), and numbers-needed-to-treat (NNTs) were calculated as appropriate. MAIN RESULTS: Four trials involving a total of 636 adult subjects were included. Methodological quality was generally high. One study each evaluated oral and intravenous dipyrone for episodic tension-type headache (ETTH); two trials evaluated intravenous dipyrone for migraine, but only one of these described pain outcomes. No pediatric trials were identified. The largest trial (n = 356) evaluated two doses (0.5 g, 1 g) of oral dipyrone for ETTH, which were significantly better than placebo for pain relief. The 1 g dose was also significantly better than acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) 1 g . A smaller trial (n = 60) evaluated intravenous dipyrone 1 g versus placebo for ETTH. RRs were statistically significant favouring dipyrone for pain-free and headache improvement outcomes. Finally, one trial (n = 134) evaluated intravenous dipyrone 1 g versus placebo for pain outcomes in patients with migraine. RRs were again statistically significant favouring dipyrone for pain-free and headache improvement outcomes. Two of the four trials assessed adverse events. No serious adverse events were reported, and no significant differences in adverse events were detected between dipyrone and comparators (placebo and ASA). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Evidence from a small number of trials suggests that dipyrone is effective for ETTH and migraine. No serious adverse events were observed in the included trials, but agranulocytosis is rare and would probably not be observed in such a relatively small sample. A study now ongoing in Latin America may clarify the true risk of agranulocytosis associated with dipyrone use.

Attachment processes in eating disorders.

Anxious and insecure attachment, fear of abandonment and difficulties with autonomy differentiate young women with eating disorders from their normal peers. This paper uses the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) as the correlation between eating disorders and state of mind regarding attachment (7 females and 6 males) with anorexia nervosa and EDNOS. There was a higher frequency of dismissing or entangled states of mind. The sample is far too small to allow statistical inferences to be drawn about differences between men and women in the style of state of mind regarding attachment. An inference is none the less made with regard to the role of psychotherapy in these results.

Eye movement abnormalities in anorexia nervosa.

The aim of the present study is to investigate smooth pursuit eye movement and saccadic performance in anorexia nervosa during a restored weight period and to determine if functional links can be made between eye movement performance and clinical features. SPEM parameters were recorded for 28 female anorectic out-patients (DSM IV), who had a body weight loss of up to 20% of ideal body weight. Twenty-eight comparison subjects were also tested. Clinically, each patient was assessed using the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Structured Interview for Personality Disorders (SCID II), the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and the Hamilton Scale for Depression (HRSD). The anorectic patients performed slightly worse than the comparison subjects on a number of SPEM measures. No relationship was found between SPEM impairment and a global severity index of psychopathology (SCL 90-R GSI) or depressive symptoms. Moreover, OCD symptoms and scores on some EDI scales (such as perfectionism) appear related to the severity of the eye movement alterations. The evidence of SPEM abnormalities in a subgroup of anorectic patients during the remitted state and the relationship of the abnormalities to obsessive-compulsive symptoms are discussed. Results are in agreement with the hypothesis regarding the persistence of neurophysiological as well as psychopathological traits of disorder in anorectic patients.

Citalopram in anorexia nervosa.

Thirthy-two female patients who had been diagnosed as having anorexia nervosa restricting subtype according to the DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV), were enrolled in a 6-month open trial with citalopram at a starting dose of 20 mg. At the end of the trial, 46.9% of the patients showed a satisfactory response, 34.4% an unsatisfactory response, improvement criteria being weight improvement, menstruation and score reduction on the Symptoms Checklist 90R. Anorectics also showed significant improvement in several Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) scores at the end of the trial, with greater improvement related to satisfactory response to citalopram. Data suggest that SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) Citalopram could be effective at least in a subgroup of anorectic patients, both on clinically objective and on subjective aspects of anorexia nervosa.

A setting including psychotherapy and psychopharmacological treatment in a case of anorexia nervosa with obsessive compulsive disorder comorbidity.

In this case report we describe the therapy followed with a patient affected by atypical anorexia purging, in a setting that includes both psychotherapy and psychopharmacological treatment. The aim of this presentation is to show how the patient's ambivalence towards the treatment was faced, and how this work both rendered effective the pharmacological therapy and enabled the progression of the psychotherapy. There is a discussion of the interaction between psychotherapy and pharmacological therapy and their possible beneficial action on the symptomatology.