Reduced Sliding Friction of Lubricant-Impregnated Catheters.

During urethral catheterization, sliding friction can cause discomfort and even hemorrhaging. In this report, we use a lubricant-impregnated polydimethylsiloxane coating to reduce the sliding friction of a catheter. Using a pig urethra attached to a microforce testing system, we found that a lubricant-impregnated catheter reduces the sliding friction during insertion by more than a factor of two.

Point-of-care rapid immunoassay performed on voided urine, refrigerated up to 24 hours, accurately detects bacteriuria.

Objective: To collect voided urine from dogs with clinical signs of lower UTI and determine the diagnostic performance of a commercially available rapid immunoassay (RIA) immediately after urine collection and after refrigeration at 4 and 24 hours.

Animals: 40 client-owned dogs.

Methods: Aerobic urine culture was performed on urine collected by cystocentesis.

Cardiovascular function, pulmonary gas exchange and tissue oxygenation in isoflurane-anesthetized, mechanically ventilated Beagle dogs with four levels of positive end-expiratory pressure.

Objectives: To compare pulmonary gas exchange, tissue oxygenation and cardiovascular effects of four levels of end-expiratory pressure: no positive end-expiratory pressure (ZEEP), positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of maximal respiratory system compliance (PEEPmaxC), PEEPmaxC + 2 cmHO (PEEPmaxC), PEEPmaxC + 4 cmHO (PEEPmaxC), in isoflurane-anesthetized dogs.

Study Design: Prospective randomized crossover study.

Animals: A total of seven healthy male Beagle dogs, aged 1 year and weighing 10.

Diagnostic accuracy of a point-of-care test using voided urine samples for detection of bacteriuria in dogs with signs of lower urinary tract disease.

Background: Bacterial urine culture is recommended in dogs suspected of having urinary tract infection (UTI), but there is expense and delay in obtaining such results.

Hypothesis/objective: To determine the diagnostic performance of a rapid immunoassay (RIA) dipstick for detection of bacteriuria using voided urine from dogs with clinical signs of lower UTI.

Animals: Twenty-four client-owned dogs.

Subclinical bacteriuria and surgical site infections in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament disease.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of subclinical bacteriuria (SBU) in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) disease, the clinical variables and clinicopathologic data associated with SBU, and the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) in dogs with and without SBU.

Study Design: Prospective, clinical cohort study.

Animals: One hundred fifty-five dogs with CCL disease.

Prevalence of, and factors associated with, positive urine cultures in hyperthyroid cats presenting for radioiodine therapy.

Objectives: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are reported to be relatively common in hyperthyroid cats, with prevalence rates ranging from 12% to 22%. Factors that are associated with UTIs include age, decreasing body weight and active urine sediments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of positive urine cultures (PUCs) in hyperthyroid cats and associated risk factors for PUC.

Measurement of preprandial and postprandial urine calcium to creatinine ratios in male Miniature Schnauzers with and without urolithiasis.

Background: We aimed to identify a simple test for excessive calciuresis and predict calcium oxalate (CaOx) disease in Miniature Schnauzers. We investigated the impact of postprandial time on the urine calcium to creatinine ratio (UCa/Cr) in male dogs of this breed, with the goal of improving the utility of the UCa/Cr.

Hypotheses: (1) Significant differences will exist in preprandial and postprandial UCa/Cr between CaOx urolith-forming and control Schnauzers.

Pathogenesis of calcium oxalate urinary stone disease: species comparison of humans, dogs, and cats.

Idiopathic calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis is a highly recurrent disease that is increasing in prevalence. Decades of research have not identified effective methods to consistently prevent the formation of nephroliths or induce medical dissolution. Idiopathic calcium oxalate nephroliths form in association with renal papillary subepithelial calcium phosphate deposits called Randall's plaques (RPs).

Recurrent urethral fibroepithelial polyps in a golden retriever.

A 2 yr old castrated male golden retriever was referred multiple times over a period of 7.5 yr for stranguria, pollakiuria, urinary incontinence and urinary outflow obstructions due to urethral polyps. Diagnostic imaging modalities used to identify polyps included abdominal ultrasound, excretory urography, double-contrast retrograde urethrocystograms, and urethrocystoscopy, which revealed multiple filling defects within the proximal and prostatic urethra.

Effects of oral prednisone administration with or without ultralow-dose acetylsalicylic acid on coagulation parameters in healthy dogs.

Objective: To determine the effects of oral prednisone administration with or without ultralow-dose acetylsalicylic acid on coagulation parameters in healthy dogs and to assess intraindividual variation in thromboelastography results.

Animals: 14 healthy research dogs and 10 healthy client-owned dogs.

Procedures: In a randomized controlled trial, research dogs underwent thromboelastography twice (3 days apart), and intraindividual variation in test results was calculated.

Survival of a feline isolate of Tritrichomonas foetus in water, cat urine, cat food and cat litter.

Feline intestinal trichomoniasis caused by Tritrichomonas foetus is associated with large bowel diarrhea in cats from many parts of the world. It has long been recognized as an economically important sexually transmitted disease that causes early abortion in cattle. Isolates of T.

Fiberoptic microneedles: novel optical diffusers for interstitial delivery of therapeutic light.

Background And Objectives: Photothermal therapies have limited efficacy and application due to the poor penetration depth of light inside tissue. In earlier work, we described the development of novel fiberoptic microneedles to provide a means to mechanically penetrate dermal tissue and deliver light directly into a localized target area.This paper presents an alternate fiberoptic microneedle design with the capability of delivering more diffuse, but therapeutically useful photothermal energy.

Serological response of cats to experimental Besnoitia darlingi and Besnoitia neotomofelis infections and prevalence of antibodies to these parasites in cats from Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Besnoitia darlingi and Besnoitia neotomofelis are cyst-forming tissue apicomplexan parasites that use domestic cats (Felis domesticus) as definitive hosts and opossums (Didelphis virginiana ) and Southern Plains woodrats (Neotoma micropus) as intermediate hosts, respectively. Nothing is known about the prevalence of B. darlingi or B.

Prevalence of IgG antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniculi and Toxoplasma gondii in cats with and without chronic kidney disease from Virginia.

Kidney disease is a common and serious condition in domestic cats. There are numerous causes of kidney disease including parasitic infection. Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a microsporidian parasite that develops in the kidneys of rabbits and causes chronic renal disease.

Prevalence of antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona in cats from Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Sarcocystis neurona is best known as the causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis of horses in the Americas. Domestic cats ( Felis domesticus ) were the first animals described as an intermediate host for S. neurona .

Frequency of incomplete urolith removal, complications, and diagnostic imaging following cystotomy for removal of uroliths from the lower urinary tract in dogs: 128 cases (1994-2006).

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of cystotomy for complete removal of urocystoliths and urethroliths in dogs, the types and frequency of diagnostic imaging performed to verify complete urolith removal, the complications that develop as a result of cystotomy, and predictors of each of these variables.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 128 dogs that underwent a cystotomy for removal of urocystoliths, urethroliths, or both from 1994 through 2006.

Effect of water source on intake and urine concentration in healthy cats.

Increasing water intake and decreasing urine concentration are recommended for cats with urolithiasis and with idiopathic cystitis. Fountains are advocated to encourage drinking; however, effects on drinking of fountains have not been reported in cats living in pet owners homes. Thirteen healthy cats were assigned to have 24-h water intake and urine osmolality and specific gravity measured when water was offered from a bowl or fountain.

Disseminated Geosmithia argillacea infection in a German shepherd dog.

We report a systemic mycosis in a German Shepherd dog caused by Geosmithia argillacea. Although this etiologic agent microscopically resembles a Penicillium species, and is histopathologically compatible with members of the genus Aspergillus, morphologic features and molecular characterization clearly separate it from these genera. This appears to be the first report of disseminated disease by this species in humans or animals.

Simultaneous analysis of vitamins and caffeine in energy drinks by surfactant-mediated matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization.

As a new approach to rapid small-molecule analysis, surfactant-mediated matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) was successfully used in the analysis of caffeine and the vitamins riboflavin, nicotinamide, and pyridoxine in various energy drinks. Of five common MALDI matrices tested (alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, sinapinic acid, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, dithranol, and 2',4',6'-trihydroxyacetophenone), alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid was found to be most suitable for analysis of high-sugar-containing energy drinks. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant was used as a matrix-ion suppressor, at a matrix:surfactant mole ratio of approximately 500:1.

Rapid screening of anthocyanins in berry samples by surfactant-mediated matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Surfactant-mediated matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) has been used for the identification of flavonoids from three berry extracts: lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), and blackberry (Rubus armeniacus). The addition of the surfactant led to suppression of matrix ions from both alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA) and 2',4',6'-trihydroxyacetophenone (THAP). This is the first case of this method being successfully employed with a matrix other than CHCA.

Surfactant-mediated matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry of small molecules.

A variety of surfactants have been tested as matrix-ion suppressors for the analysis of small molecules by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of flight mass spectrometry. Their addition to the common matrix alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA) greatly reduces the presence of matrix-related ions when added at the appropriate mole ratio of CHCA/surfactant, while still allowing the analyte signal to be observed. A range of cationic quaternary ammonium surfactants, as well as a neutral and anionic surfactant, was tested for the analysis of phenolics, phenolic acids, peptides and caffeine.

Teaching Bayesian analysis to Emergency Medicine residents.

Our objective was to determine if a brief didactic would improve Emergency Medicine (EM) resident performance at using a key evidence-based medicine (EBM) concept. We used a prospective, before and after, assessment of EM resident estimates of post-test pulmonary embolism (PE) probability for a defined pre-test probability, computed tomography (CT) and D-dimer results. The survey provided test sensitivity, and specificity for D-dimer and CT.

Measurement of urinary glycosaminoglycans in dogs.

Objectives: To measure urine concentrations of sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), determine optimal storage conditions for urine samples, establish a reference range, and determine whether there is correlation between 24-hour total urine GAG excretion and the GAG-to-creatinine ratio (GCR).

Animals: 14 healthy adult dogs.

Procedure: Single urine sample GAG concentrations and GCRs were measured in samples collected from 14 healthy dogs at the start of the 24-hour collection period.

Who's buying lunch: are gifts to surgeons from industry bad for patients?

Why does gifting exist in the medical marketplace? It provides a sales advantage in a competitive marketplace by establishing crucial relationships with the patients' fiduciary: the physician and surgeon. Do gifts to physicians from industry harm patients? One can cite mountains of indirect evidence that they do, and maybe in the case of recalled devices and drugs there are actual corpses, but these examples are retrospective and it is impossible to prove that removing detailing eliminates the harm. Banning gifts to surgeons would not completely fix the ethical problem of pharmaceutical and device marketing.

Bilateral cavernous sinus syndrome in dogs: 6 cases (1999-2004).

Objective: To determine clinical features, diagnostic imaging abnormalities, underlying disease, disease progression, and outcome in dogs with bilateral cavernous sinus syndrome.

Design: Retrospective study.

Animals: 6 dogs.