Lidocaine Tape Application for 3 Hours Prevents Vasovagal Syncope During Venipuncture: A Case Series.

Vasovagal syncope (VVS) or reflex is usually caused by physical and mental stress-related factors, like pain, anxiety, and fear, and it is one of the most frequent complications during dental treatment. Two patients, both with histories of dental phobia and of VVS during vaccination, venipuncture, and dental treatment with local anesthetics, were scheduled for dental treatment under intravenous (IV) sedation. However, both experienced episodes of VVS that occurred during venipuncture using a 24-gauge indwelling needle. We determined that pain was the main trigger of VVS for these patients and attempted to reduce venipuncture-associated pain using 60% lidocaine tape applied 3 hours before venipuncture at their next dental visits, respectively. Use of the lidocaine tape was successful and permitted comfortable placement of the IV catheter without any onset of VVS.

Risk factors associated with the within-farm transmission of bovine viral diarrhea virus and the incidence of persistently infected cattle on dairy farms from Ibaraki prefecture of Japan.

For understanding the factors affecting bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) transmission, this study investigated the distribution of BVDV and the epidemiological features of persistently infected (PI) cattle in Ibaraki Prefecture of Japan, and identified farm-level risk factors associated with BVDV infection, with a focus on within-farm transmission and PI animal detection. Among all 377 dairy farms, forty-four PI cattle were identified on 22 farms. Thirty-eight and six PI cattle were born on their current farms or purchased, respectively. Twenty-six PI cattle were born from pregnancies on their current farms, seven from pregnancies in summer pastures, and eight from pregnancies on other farms. The within-farm seroprevalence on farms with PI animals was significantly higher than that on farms without PI cattle. Of 333 farms holding homebred cattle without movement records, antibody-positivity in homebred cattle was observed on 194 farms; these cattle were likely infected by within-farm transmission. Herd size, summer pasturing, and BVDV infection status of the nearest dairy farm were risk factors associated with within-farm transmission. Likewise, herd size, summer pasturing, and the proportion of purchased cattle were related to PI animal occurrence. This study shows the risk of within-farm transmission and occurrence of PI animals after the introduction of BVDV via purchasing and summer pasturing, and illustrates the significant role of PI cattle in circulating BVDV. More effective measures for screening BVDV infection and PI animals, including intensive tests targeting moved cattle and newborn calves, and bulk milk surveillance, are required to control the spread of BVDV in Japan.

A hematologic key for bovine leukemia virus screening in Japanese black cattle.

The European Community's leukosis key (EC key) is a well-known hematologic method for detecting bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection in dairy cattle. The key identifies infected cattle with persistent lymphocytosis via a combination of lymphocyte count (LC) and age. Using the EC key to identify BLV-infected Japanese black (JB) cattle is problematic, however, given the inherently lower LCs of JB cattle compared to dairy cattle. We analyzed the LC in BLV-positive and -negative JB cattle and estimated LC cutoff values by age using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Among the 716 JB blood samples collected, 452 (63%) JB cattle were confirmed as BLV-positive by an antibody ELISA for ≥1-y-old cattle and by real-time PCR for <1-y-old cattle. The cutoff values for the LC in each age group were calculated as 6.3 × 109/L for <1 y, 5.9 × 109/L for 1 to <2 y, 5.5 × 109/L for 2 to <3 y, 4.5 × 109/L for 3 to <6 y, 4.3 × 109/L for 6 to ≤10 y, and 3.7 × 109/L for >10 y. The sensitivity and specificity of the estimated cutoff values were 0.49 (95% confidence interval: 0.44-0.53) and 0.81 (0.75-0.85), whereas those of the EC key were 0.20 (0.16-0.24) and 0.99 (0.97-1.00). Our LC cutoff values for screening JB cattle for BLV infection appear to be preferable to those of the EC key.