NALTREXONE AS A PROMISING TREATMENT FOR CLINICAL SIGNS OF LATERAL LINE DEPIGMENTATION IN PALETTE SURGEONFISH (PARACANTHURUS HEPATUS).

Lateral line depigmentation (LLD) is a common condition in managed tropical saltwater fish, and treatment is somewhat elusive. Naltrexone, an opioid receptor antagonist, enhances epithelial cell replication, cytokine production, and angiogenesis to stimulate wound healing in mice. A treatment trial with 11 palette surgeonfish with LLD was performed. Seven fish underwent a single topical treatment of a mixture of 4 mg naltrexone and 10 g iLEX petroleum paste applied topically to LLD lesions. Four additional fish served as controls: two received only topical iLEX and two received no treatment. Severity of disease was scored on a 0-3 scale. Inflammatory response was gauged on a separate 0-3 scale for 5 d after treatment based on severity of erythema, as seen in a clinical case performed prior to this study. After 11 days, four affected animals that lacked an inflammatory response after naltrexone topical treatment were administered a single dose of intralesional 0.04% naltrexone (4 mg diluted into 10 ml saline). Lesions on all fish were photographed and measured at day 33. Clinical improvements in lesion size and pigmentation were apparent following topical naltrexone therapy in fish with severe lesions. Although these cases are promising, more data are needed to further evaluate the effectiveness of naltrexone 0.04% in treating LLD lesions in palette surgeonfish.

A REVIEW OF NEOPLASMS IN A POPULATION OF JAMAICAN FRUIT BATS (ARTIBEUS JAMAICENSIS) UNDER HUMAN CARE.

Although reports of tumors in chiropteran species are rare, postmortem examinations conducted on aging captive populations suggest that neoplasia may be more prevalent and clinically more significant contributors to morbidity and mortality than previously appreciated in these animals. A retrospective study was conducted to describe cases of neoplasia identified in Jamaican fruit bats (Artibeus jamaicensis) under human care at the Vancouver Aquarium between 01 January 2013 and 31 March 2021. Approximately 13.2% (N = 47/355) of the bat population died within this time span, and gross and histologic postmortem examinations were performed on 28 of 47 individuals. There were eight malignant and three benign neoplasms detected in 10 cases (eight females, two males), including: malignant histiocytoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma, two squamous cell carcinomas, spindle cell sarcoma, periosteal chondrosarcoma, uncharacterized uterine neoplasia with unrelated multicentric pulmonary carcinoma, and cholangiocarcinoma. Benign variants included three suspected uterine leiomyomas. A wide variety of tumor types and tissue predilections were identified, suggesting a complex and perhaps multifactorial pathogenesis in neoplastic transformation in microchiropterans. To the authors' knowledge, these tumor types have not been previously described in Artibeus sp., and some of these neoplasms have not previously been reported in chiropterans.

PERICARDIAL MESOTHELIOMA AND ASSOCIATED PERICARDIAL EFFUSION IN A TIGER RAT SNAKE (SPILOTES PULLATUS) TREATED WITH PERICARDIOCENTESIS.

A 1.5 kg, male, wild-caught tiger rat snake (Spilotes pullatus) presented with an externally visible distension of the body wall at the level of the heart. Ultrasound examination showed marked pericardial effusion. Pericardial fluid showed no bacterial or fungal growth, few leukocytes, and few suspected reactive mesothelial or neoplastic cells. Therapeutic pericardiocentesis was successfully performed, removing most of the fluid from the pericardial sac. The snake had mild lethargy and weakness immediately after the procedure but returned to normal behavior within 2 wk. Repeat pericardiocentesis was performed 6 mo after the initial presentation when moderate refilling of the pericardial sac was seen. The snake died 4 days after the second procedure with acute hemorrhage. Pericardial mesothelioma was diagnosed by histopathology after postmortem examination. This report provides the first documented case of mesothelioma in a tiger rat snake and the first description of the disease in colubrids.

Assessing the Effect of an Educational Intervention on Nurses' and Patient Care Assistants' Comprehension and Documentation of Functional Ability in Pediatric Patients with Sickle Cell Disease.

PURPOSE: In 2014, the Youth Acute Pain Functional Ability Questionnaire (YAPFAQ) was developed to investigate patient's self-rated functional ability during times of acute pain in the inpatient clinical setting. Although it has great potential, the application of this tool has not been made a standard of care. The purpose of this multiple methods study was to determine if, through an educational intervention, hospital staff could consistently document the YAPFAQ in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) during a vaso-occlusive episode. DESIGN AND METHODS: Twenty-two staff members participated in an educational intervention and semi-structured group discussions. Pre/post surveys measured knowledge of the YAPFAQ before and after the intervention. Group discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for thematic clusters. Retrospective chart reviews of children with SCD were reviewed for YAPFAQ documentation frequency before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Staff knowledge of who completes the YAPFAQ increased after the intervention, (p<.001). YAPFAQ documentation decreased after the intervention, (p<.001). Qualitative analysis identified personal, physical, and patient barriers to completing the YAPFAQ and multiple recommendations to change the method of documentation in the electronic health records (EHR). CONCLUSIONS: Although the staff expressed high interest in utilizing the YAPFAQ, application was inhibited by delayed translation to the EHR. The YAPFAQ continues to hold high potential for directing nursing care, but requires staff investment for clinical practice change. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: A seamless integration between nursing education and translation through EHR is recommended as technology continues to integrate into nursing practice.

AUDITORY EVOKED POTENTIALS AND BEHAVIORAL CONSIDERATIONS WITH HEARING LOSS IN SMALL CETACEANS: APPLICATION AS A STANDARD DIAGNOSTIC TEST IN HEALTH ASSESSMENT.

The primary sense in odontocetes is hearing and a large portion of the odontocete brain is devoted to the auditory processing of echolocation signals. Hearing deficits in odontocetes potentially compromise the ability to forage, navigate, socialize, and evade predators. This presents a challenge to survival and reproduction in wild odontocetes and can affect the general welfare of odontocetes under human care. Currently, little empirical information on how odontocete behavior is affected by hearing loss exists. This study investigated hearing deficits in several species of stranded dolphins and age-related hearing deficits in dolphins kept under human care through auditory evoked potential (AEP) testing and evaluated whether individual behavior correlated with hearing impairment. Behavioral questionnaires for participating animals were completed by individuals with extensive knowledge of the animals' history and behavior. A chi-square analysis determined whether animals with hearing impairment demonstrated behaviors that differed significantly from those considered normal. All tested individuals under human care over 35 years of age had some degree of hearing loss, as did a large percentage of previously stranded animals. Individuals with hearing loss exhibited a range of behavioral changes, including delays in learning new behaviors, accepting novel enrichment, and habituating to new environments. Some individuals with profound hearing loss also displayed a change in vocalization rate in various situations. Findings within previously stranded animals suggest AEP studies should be conducted in all stranded individuals entering rehabilitation. It is further recommended that dolphins living under human care undergo hearing tests as part of their normal health assessments, with emphasis on aging individuals and animals that exhibit delayed learning, respond poorly to audible cues, or show atypical vocalization behavior.