Pestivirus infection in sheep and goats in West Austria.

Blood samples from 3112 sheep (185 flocks) and 1196 goats (163 flocks) from the Western region of Austria were tested for pestivirus-specific RNA. In this area, communal Alpine pasturing of sheep, cattle and goats is an important part of farming. The prevalence of sheep persistently-infected (PI) with pestivirus was 0.32% (10 animals) and the PI animals originated from five flocks (2.7% of those investigated). In goats, only one PI animal (0.08%) was detected. Sequence analysis of the 5'-end untranslated region (UTR) revealed that the strains of Border disease virus (BDV) detected were closely related to genotype 3 but the PI animals did not show any clinical signs of Border disease. The goat was PI with bovine viral diarrhoea virus-1 (BVDV-1). On one farm a high abortion rate among sheep had been observed 1year before the study was carried out but the other farms did not show any evidence of reproductive failures. Pestiviruses are endemic in small ruminants in some Alpine regions of Austria and PI healthy animals as described here have a key epidemiological role. A successful BVDV eradication programme in Austria will create highly pestivirus-susceptible cattle populations. Sheep and goats present a high risk for the reintroduction of pestiviruses to cattle herds because they are less likely to be considered to be PI. The results underline the need for the immediate consideration of small ruminants in eradication programmes.

[Nalbuphine as compared with pethidine for postoperative pain therapy]. / Nalbuphin im Vergleich zu Pethidin zur postoperativen Schmerztherapie.

Nalbuphine is a new partly agonistic antagonistic opioid, that may offer some advantages especially in postoperative pain relief. We compared meperidine (1 mg kg-1) in 100 patients and nalbuphine (0.3 mg kg-1) in 70 patients, administering both agents intravenously after gynaecological operations. Standardised halothane anaesthesia without any opioid was used. After arrival in the recovery room, vigilance (sedation), quality and duration of pain relief were measured by different methods at four different times (0, 15, 30, and 60 minutes). Sedation was significantly more pronounced in the nalbuphine group, but no difference could be found in pain relief and duration between both groups. 6 patients of the n-group showed a short lasting wake-up reaction due to receptor antagonism. 36 patients had to be reinjected at the end of the first hour. We consider nalbuphine to be a safe opioid, however, the marked sedation should be taken into account.

Safe use of propofol in a patient with acute intermittent porphyria.

On two occasions a patient suffering from acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) was anaesthetized with propofol as the sole agent. The concentrations of urinary porphobilinogen, porphyrins and porphyrin precursors did not exceed preoperative values, and no exacerbation of the disease was noted.

[Lesion of the brachial plexus, caused by wrong positioning during surgery]. / Läsion des Plexus brachialis, verursacht durch fehlerhafte Operationslagerungen.

We report three patients, which showed plexus palsies after routine operations. Compression and stretch of the nerves despite pads leaded to nerve injury in patient A. Abduction of the arm, fixed wrist, hypotension in steep Trendelenburg position and a preexisting shoulder-arm-syndrome were the causes in patient B. Hyperreclination of the head in semisitting position caused the lesion in patient C. The anaesthetist should know the risks of positioning to prevent nerve injuries.