Effect of clinical signs, endocrinopathies, timing of surgery, hyperlipidemia, and hyperbilirubinemia on outcome in dogs with gallbladder mucocele.

Gallbladder mucocele (GBM) is a common extra-hepatic biliary syndrome in dogs with death rates ranging from 7 to 45%. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the association of survival with variables that could be utilized to improve clinical decisions. A total of 1194 dogs with a gross and histopathological diagnosis of GBM were included from 41 veterinary referral hospitals in this retrospective study. Dogs with GBM that demonstrated abnormal clinical signs had significantly greater odds of death than subclinical dogs in a univariable analysis (OR, 4.2; 95% CI, 2.14-8.23; P<0.001). The multivariable model indicated that categorical variables including owner recognition of jaundice (OR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.19-3.77; P=0.011), concurrent hyperadrenocorticism (OR 1.94; 95% CI, 1.08-3.47; P=0.026), and Pomeranian breed (OR, 2.46; 95% CI 1.10-5.50; P=0.029) were associated with increased odds of death, and vomiting was associated with decreased odds of death (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.30-0.72; P=0.001). Continuous variables in the multivariable model, total serum/plasma bilirubin concentration (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04; P<0.001) and age (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.08-1.26; P<0.001), were associated with increased odds of death. The clinical utility of total serum/plasma bilirubin concentration as a biomarker to predict death was poor with a sensitivity of 0.61 (95% CI, 0.54-0.69) and a specificity of 0.63 (95% CI, 0.59-0.66). This study identified several prognostic variables in dogs with GBM including total serum/plasma bilirubin concentration, age, clinical signs, concurrent hyperadrenocorticism, and the Pomeranian breed. The presence of hypothyroidism or diabetes mellitus did not impact outcome in this study.

Deposition of inhaled monodisperse aerosols in small rodents.

Aerosols of five different sizes varying from about 0.05 micron to 3 micron in aerodynamic equivalent diameter were prepared from spherical aluminosilicate particles (p=2.2 g/cm3) labelled with 169Yb. Fifty hamsters and fifty rats were exposed, while anaesthetized, to these monodisperse aerosols under controlled laboratory conditions to determine quantitatively deposition in the respiratory airways with respect to particle size and volume of air inhaled. Ten animals of each species were exposed to each of the particle sizes. Five animals were exposed simultaneously for 20 min in an inhalation exposure apparatus which provided automatic recordings of respiratory rates and volumes using individual whole-body plethymographs; three were sacrificed immediately after exposure and the remaining two after 20 h had elapsed for radioanalysis of selected tissues to determine deposition quantities and organ distribution. Detailed results are given for the observed deposition fractions for the different aerosols in the various parts of the respiratory tract. The lowest fractional total deposition occurred for particles between 0.5 micron and 1 micron in aerodynamic equivalent diameter. Relative deposition among the various lung lobes showed remarkable consistency with respect to particle size. Based upon the results of morphometric measurements of replica casts of lungs of the two species, interpretations are made relating the observed deposition phenomena to tracheobronchial anatomy.