The use of equine surfactant and positive pressure ventilation to treat a premature alpaca cria with severe hypoventilation and hypercapnia.

A 5-hour-old, premature alpaca cria was presented with failure to nurse, weakness, hypoglycemia, hypercapnia, and respiratory distress. The cria was treated with 3 doses of fresh, crude equine surfactant, positive pressure ventilation, and supplemental intranasal oxygen. Recovery to discharge was uneventful, and the cria regained apparently normal respiratory function. Three years after hospital discharge, the alpaca was a healthy adult.

Utilisation du surfactant équin et de la ventilation à pression positive pour traiter un jeune alpaga atteint d'hypoventilation grave et d'hypercapnie. Un jeune alpaga né prématurément et âgé de 5 heures a été présenté pour une absence d'allaitement, une faiblesse, l'hypoglycémie, l'hypercapnie et la détresse respiratoire. Le jeune a été traité à l'aide de 3 doses de surfactant équin frais et brut, une ventilation à pression positive et de l'oxygène intranasal supplémentaire. Le rétablissement et le congé se sont bien passés et la fonction respiratoire normale du jeune s'est apparemment rétablie. Trois ans après le congé de l'hôpital, l'alpaga était un adulte en santé.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Comparison between invasive blood pressure and a non-invasive blood pressure monitor in anesthetized sheep.

Monitoring blood pressure under general anesthesia in animals is important to prevent hypotension and poor tissue perfusion. Thirteen sheep were enrolled to evaluate the accuracy of the petMAP, a portable non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) monitor. Animals were anesthetized with midazolam, fentanyl, ketamine, propofol and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen for ovariectomy. Invasive and non-invasive (petMAP) blood pressure measurements were recorded simultaneously every 5 minutes. Agreement between IBP and NIBP was assessed by evaluation of bias and 95% limits of agreement (LOA) using the Bland-Altman method and correlation coefficient. None of the measurements met the criteria for good agreement between invasive and non-invasive readings established by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation. Systolic blood pressure readings obtained at the left thoracic limb site and mean blood pressure at the right pelvic limb site met the bias and LOA criteria established by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Evaluation of serial venous and arterial lactate concentrations in healthy anesthetized sheep undergoing ovariectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if lactate concentrations in jugular venous and auricular arterial blood differ in anesthetized sheep. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, controlled experimental study. ANIMALS: Twelve healthy adult ewes, 4-7 years and weighing 62-77 kg. METHODS: Jugular venous blood was collected before anesthesia (PreOv ) for measurement of lactate concentration, packed cell volume and total protein. Ewes were administered a standard anesthesia protocol. Jugular venous (IntraOv ) and auricular arterial (IntraOa ) blood samples were obtained 40 minutes after induction of anesthesia, and again in recovery (PostOv and PostOa ). An additional blood sample was drawn 6 weeks post-operatively from non-fasted sheep (NF_Lact). Lactate concentrations were compared among PreOv , IntraOv and IntraOa , PostOv and PostOa , and between PreOv and NF_Lact with paired t-test and repeated measure analyses of variance (anova) with PreOv as a covariate (p ≤ 0.05). RESULTS: IntraOv lactate concentration had decreased from PreOv There were significant differences between arterial and venous IntraO and PostO lactate concentrations. There was no significant difference between IntraO and PostO, or PreOv and NF_Lact. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Lactate concentrations were significantly lower in anesthetized sheep compared to non-anesthetized sheep. Lactate concentrations in venous blood were higher than in arterial blood. Therefore, anesthetic status and sampling site should be considered when interpreting lactate concentrations, and the sampling site should be consistent for repeated measurements.

Incidence of respiratory disorders in neonates born between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation following exposure to antenatal corticosteroids between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation.

We studied the effect of antenatal corticosteroids on the incidence of respiratory disorders in singleton neonates born between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation. Retrospective analysis was conducted of the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and other respiratory disorders (need for mechanical ventilation, continuous positive airway pressure, and prolonged oxygen therapy) among singleton neonates delivered between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation who were exposed to antenatal corticosteroids, compared with neonates who were not exposed. Statistical analyses included two-tailed T tests, two-way analysis of variance for continuous data, and chi-square analysis for ratios. A probability of 0.05 was considered significant. Between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2004, 1078 neonates were born between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation. Information regarding antenatal corticosteroids was available in 1044: 574 neonates (53.2%) were exposed to antenatal corticosteroids and 470 (43.6%) were not. One thousand and eighteen neonates were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Respiratory disorders were diagnosed in 140 of those exposed to antenatal steroids (24.4%) and in 382 of the nonexposed (81.3%) ( P < 0.0001). Two hundred and ten neonates (20.6%) developed RDS: Of those, 43 were exposed to antenatal corticosteroids and 167 were not (incidence of RDS was 7.5% and 35.5%, respectively; P = 0.0001). The beneficial effects of corticosteroids were similar in both genders. It appears that the exposure of singleton pregnancies to antenatal corticosteroids between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation is associated with a significantly lower incidence of respiratory disorders among neonates born at 34 to 36 weeks of gestation. Further studies are needed to determine whether administering antenatal steroids to women experiencing preterm labor after 34 weeks of gestation would be associated with a similar beneficial effect.