Pharmacokinetics of intranasal and intramuscular flunixin in healthy grower pigs.

Flunixin meglumine is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug approved to manage pyrexia associated with swine respiratory disease. In the United States, no analgesic drugs are approved for use in swine by the FDA, although they are needed to manage painful conditions. This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics and relative bioavailability of intranasal versus intramuscular flunixin in grower pigs. Six pigs received 2.2 mg/kg flunixin either intranasally via atomizer or intramuscularly before receiving flunixin via the opposite route following a 5-day washout period. Plasma samples were collected over 60 h and analysed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry to detect flunixin plasma concentrations. A non-compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was performed. The median Cmax was 4.0 µg/mL and 2.7 µg/mL for intramuscular and intranasal administration, respectively, while the median AUCinf was 6.9 h µg/mL for intramuscular administration and 4.9 h µg/mL for intranasal administration. For both routes, the median Tmax was 0.2 h, and flunixin was detectable in some samples up to 60 h post-administration. Intranasal delivery had a relative bioavailability of 88.5%. These results suggest that intranasal flunixin has similar, although variable, pharmacokinetic parameters to the intramuscular route, making it a viable route of administration for use in grower swine.

Allies community health workers: Bridging the gap.

Allies Against Asthma coalitions each employ a community health worker (CHW) program as part of its community action plan. The structure and management of CHW programs vary in response to the resources and needs of the local community, as do the roles and characteristics of the CHWs hired. All programs utilize CHWs to provide community-based education and/or outreach to community members, primarily in their homes. Using an asthma action plan, most Allies CHW programs function as an extension of and link to the clinician, providing basic asthma education and care coordination in a supportive, family-friendly setting, context, and location. Community health workers rely heavily on relationship building and family empowerment to assist families in improving asthma control. Working within a coalition framework helps integrate the CHW program into other services and resources in the community. As participants in coalition activities, CHWs often bring an important and meaningful viewpoint to the coalition.