Ultrasound guided femoral nerve block and lateral femoral cutaneous nerve block for postoperative pain control after primary hip arthroplasty: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of an ultrasound guided femoral nerve (FN) block together with an ultrasound guided lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) block in addition to a patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) pump with piritramide as a strategy for postoperative pain-management after primary hip arthroplasty. METHODS: In a retrospective study, data recorded from 32 patients undergoing primary hip arthroplasty in 2008, before peripheral blocks were used, were compared with data from 38 patients undergoing primary hip arthroplasty in 2011, when an ultrasound guided single shot FN and LFCN block was used. As primary endpoint the total piritramide consumption after 48 hours was analyzed. A score on a visual analog pain scale at rest and during movement was included as a secondary outcome. RESULTS: Patients receiving the peripheral nerve blocks used significantly less piritramide in comparison to the patients who received no peripheral nerve blocks (p < 0.01). Moreover, pain scores at rest and during movement were significantly lower in the group with the peripheral nerve block (p-values respectively < 0.01 and < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study indicates that a FN block in combination with a LFCN block as supplementary postoperative analgesia after primary hip arthroplasty, can reduce the piritramide consumption. Furthermore, patients receiving the peripheral nerve block report lower pain scores at rest and during movement compared with the patients who did not receive a peripheral block. However, as this is a retrospective study, conclusions have to be drawn cautiously.

Enzymatic surface modification of poly(ethylene terephthalate).

This study unambiguously confirms hydrolysis using cutinase of the persistent synthetic polymer poly(ethylene terephthalate), the most important synthetic fiber in the textile industry by direct measurement and identification of the different hydrolysis products. In this aqueous heterogeneous system, dissolved cutinase from Fusarium solani pisi acts on different solid poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrates. The extent of hydrolysis was detected by measuring the amount of (soluble) degradation products in solution using reversed-phase HPLC. Crystallinity greatly affects the capability of the enzyme to hydrolyze the ester bonds, displaying relatively high activity towards an amorphous polyester film and little activity on a highly crystalline substrate. The enzyme is sufficiently stable, hydrolysis rate on the amorphous substrate maintained at sufficient high level over a long period of time of at least five days. From an industrial point of view it is highly recommended to increase the hydrolysis rates.

Rate and course of sporulation of oocysts of Eimeria acervulina under different environmental conditions.

An experiment was conducted to determine the rate and maximum percentage of sporulation of Eimeria acervulina oocysts at various environmental conditions relating to temperature (21 versus 33 degrees C) and relative humidity (RH) (40 versus 80%). Measurements were made during 44 h after excretion of oocysts in 3 substrates: dry litter, clammy litter and pure faeces respectively. Maximum sporulation percentage in both dry (22.6%) and clammy litter (19.5%) was higher (P < 0.005) than in pure faeces (11.6%). Neither temperature nor RH had a significant influence on percentage of oocysts that sporulated. Under these simulated practical conditions approximately 25% of all oocysts sporulated, whereas sporulation under optimal conditions (29 degrees C, aeration, 2% K2Cr2O) showed a higher (68%) sporulation ability of oocysts. At 33 degrees C sporulation proceeded at a faster pace than at 21 degrees C (P < 0.005). With respect to RH and substrate, once sporulation started, the rate of increase to maximum percentage was not different. Time of onset of sporulation was influenced by temperature (P < 0.0001) and RH (P < 0.001). Time of onset occurred 15 h later at 21 degrees C compared with 33 degrees C and 5 h later at 40% RH compared with 80%. Also, an interaction effect (P < 0.01) was found with effect of RH being stronger at 21 degrees C compared with 33 degrees C. It was concluded that the most important aspect in the epidemiology of E. acervulina during a flock cycle is the time of onset of sporulation with temperature being the most important factor.

Multivariate epidemiological approach to coccidiosis in broilers.

A retrospective, case-control study into risk factors of coccidiosis was undertaken using data from 189 broiler flocks. A case flock was defined as a flock in which at least one bird had intestinal lesions on 1 of 6 wk in a 42-day cycle. Flocks wherein such birds could not be detected were defined as controls. There were 187 variables, measured or derived. These were assigned to subsets of data, each subset being a group of variables representing related information. Uni- and bivariate analyses were performed in each subset. Variables and interactions that were significant in these analyses were entered into a multivariate model across subsets. In the final model, seven variables appeared to be significantly associated with detecting lesions in birds of a flock. Differences among breeds covered a range of about an 80-fold change in risk of being a case. At intermittent lighting, the risk of being a case increased about sevenfold compared with continuous lighting. A higher initial (Week 1) environmental temperature decreased the risk of finding lesions in a flock (about .8-fold per degree Celsius). This risk was also lower at a lower average aerial ammonia content (below versus above 14 ppm) and higher maximum carbon dioxide content (above versus below .4 vol%) changing the risk about .3- and .4-fold, respectively. The risk of being among cases increased with more litter (about twofold per kilogram of litter per square meter). Flocks in houses of 600 to 800 m2 were about 9.8 times more at risk of being scored as lesion-positive than those in smaller houses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Influence of claw clipping, stocking density and feeding space on the incidence of scabby hips in broilers.

1. The aetiology of scabby hips was studied in broilers by scratching the skin with chicken claws, clipping the birds' claws and varying the effects of stocking density and food trough allocation. 2. Gentle scratching twice a week resulted in skin lesions that could not be distinguished from clinical scabby hips at slaughter. Interaction between birds appeared to be a prerequisite for the skin condition to develop. 3. Clipping of the claws at day 25 could almost completely prevent scabby hips at day 45 when the birds were slaughtered. 4. No positive correlation was found between feather condition and the severity of scabby hips at slaughter at day 45. 5. Decrease in stocking density and an increase in feeding space resulted in a reduction of skin lesions at day 25 and resultant scabby hips after slaughter.

Efficacy of toltrazuril in broilers and development of a laboratory model for sensitivity testing of Eimeria field isolates.

(1) The efficacy of toltrazuril (Baycox) against coccidiosis was established on a broiler farm in an intermittent application during five consecutive growing periods. Treated birds were fed a broiler ration without anticoccidials. The efficacy of Baycox was compared with the nicarbazin-salinomycin shuttle. It was concluded that Baycox retarded the onset of Eimeria infection for several weeks. During the fifth rearing period coccidiosis problems emerged on the farm in all birds during medication, suggesting development of resistance. (2) During a laboratory experiment the efficacy of Baycox was studied in birds after inoculation with different numbers of oocysts at 7, 10 or 15 days of age. Baycox was applied at 10 and 11 days of age. In all cases medication with Baycox protected birds from coccidiosis during a period of at least 7 days. This effect of Baycox could be due to the long-existing tissue levels of the product and its metabolites as well as its specific effect on the second generation of schizonts. (3) In another laboratory experiment coccidia obtained from field trials were tested for sensitivity to Baycox in conjunction with two strains obtained from farms were coccidiosis emerged during application. The inoculation model developed in this study was used for sensitivity testing. One of the Eimeria strains tested was resistant to the product, one strain was tolerant and the remaining two strains, including the control strain, were fully sensitive to Baycox.

Investigations into the role of reovirus in the malabsorption syndrome.

Malabsorption syndrome, defined by five criteria, could not be reproduced by oral inoculation of newly hatched chicks with six reoviruses isolated from six different cases. Passage in birds of four reoviruses with intestinal homogenates did not result in increased pathogenicity. In contrast, inoculation of complete infectious intestinal homogenate caused great weight loss, long lasting excretion of yellow-orange mucoid and wet faeces, increased plasma alkaline phosphatase activity, decreased carotene concentration and bone abnormalities. Malabsorption syndrome could not be reproduced with infectious intestinal homogenate comprising only reovirus and possibly other non-enveloped viruses after treatment with methanol or chloroform. Infectious homogenate made reovirus-free by incubation with anti-serum was as pathogenic as homogenate that had been treated the same way with broth and that still contained viable reovirus. While infectious homogenate was almost apathogenic for 3-day-old chicks, its pathogenicity for birds of this age was greatly enhanced by a pre-infection with reovirus immediately after hatching. Reovirus therefore may act as a trigger in the malabsorption syndrome. This enhancing effect, however, was not specific for reovirus; it was also achieved with an adenovirus. Vaccination of two groups of breeders with two different inactivated reovirus vaccines, resulted in effective transfer of antibody to the offspring, but did not protect the offspring against malabsorption syndrome.

Biochemical changes in blood and uterine fluid of fowl following experimental EDS'76 virus infection.

The pH, pCO2, and pO2 values and the concentrations of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, phosphorus, bicarbonate, base excess, protein, glucose, as well as the activity of alkaline phosphatase and malate dehydrogenase were determined in the venous blood and uterine fluid of control and EDS'76 virus-infected fowl. Moreover, the pH of the mucosa of different parts of the oviduct was measured. Hens were examined in the period from 10 to 24 days following infection; blood and uterine fluid samples were collected approximately 14 hours after oviposition, provided a plumped egg was present in the uterus. Examination of blood and pH measurement of oviduct mucosa did not yield significant differences between infected and noninfected hens. In comparison with noninfected control birds, the mean sodium concentration of the uterine fluid of infected hens producing soft shelled or shell-less eggs had evidently increased, while the mean concentration of potassium, calcium, magnesium and glucose had decreased. Similar differences were also observed between infected hens producing normally shelled eggs and infected hens producing abnormally shelled eggs. No significant differences between infected and not infected hens were observed concerning the other values determined in the uterine fluid. It is concluded that functional disturbances which account for shell aberrations following EDS'76 virus infection are located in the surface epithelial cells of the uterine mucosa. These disturbances are very probably initiated by a depressed function of the sodium pump. All changes observed in the uterine fluid of infected hens could be explained by this depressed function.

Contribution to the aetiology of synovitis in chickens, with special reference to non-infective factors. V. Extractability of glucosaminoglycans/mucoproteins from tendon tissue.

A comparative study was undertaken regarding the extractability of glucosaminoglycans and mucoproteins in the tendon tissue of birds highly susceptible to synovitis, viz.broiler breed cocks (BB cocks), and of birds highly resistant to synovitis. viz. White Leghorn hens (WL hens). It was shown that in ;the case of WL hens this extractability decreased in accordance with ageing. In the case of BB cocks such a decrease was not observed. This observation is in support of a working hypothesis which supposes a relatively high degree of interaction between the several components of tendon components of tendon tissue (e.g. collagen and glucosaminoglycans/mucoproteins) in the case of WL hens, and a relatively low degree of this interaction in the case of BB cocks. Moreover the results of this study account for the observation that the tendon tissue of WL hens is more resistant to tensile stress than that of BB cocks, and they indicate that the above interaction is a determinant in the aetiology of synovitis.

Infectious stunting and leg weakness in broilers: I. Pathology and biochemical changes in blood plasma.

A syndrome of stunting and leg weakness could be reproduced experimentally by inoculation of 1-day-old broilers with homogenised intestines from affected birds. Inoculated birds kept in isolators showed highly impaired growth until 3 weeks p.i. Birds produced mucoid yellowish coloured droppings and at post mortem thin liquid intestinal contents were found. Biochemical examination of blood plasma showed low plasma carotenoid concentrations and an increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, mainly caused by one isoenzyme, which was most likely of intestinal origin. These findings implicate infectious causal agents with the intestines as the site of primary involvement. Bone abnormalities consisted of rickets-like changes at the age of 3 weeks, whereas a distinct dyschondroplasia was seen at 4 weeks. The syndrome could also be transmitted to uninoculated birds kept in contact with birds inoculated at 1 day of age. Birds inoculated at 7 days of age also showed greatly impaired growth but developed no macroscopical bone disorders. Inoculation at 14 days of age did not result in impaired growth or bone abnormalities. Following inoculation with REO virus, isolated from a field case, no bone abnormalities occurred. However, a shortlived impaired growth, diarrhoea, increased plasma ALP activity and decreased carotenoid concentration were observed. The rapid spread of the disease and the role of REO virus are discussed.

Infectious stunting and leg weakness in broilers. II. Studies on alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes in blood plasma.

Total alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in blood plasma of broilers suffering from infectious stunting after artificial infection was constantly higher than that of uninoculated control birds. While total ALP activity in blood plasma from inoculated broilers of various ages decreased after incubation at 56 degrees C, it increased in similarly treated plasma collected from broilers at 3, 21 and 28 days after inoculation. Investigations into the organ origin of the plasma ALP isoenzymes with agarose electrophoresis, column chromatography, L phenylalanine inhibition and heat treatment showed that the main part of ALP activity in blood plasma of both, inoculated and uninoculated birds was most likely of intestinal origin. In 3-day-old broilers no heat sensitive part of total ALP could be measured.