Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Imaging Using a Phospholipase A2 Activatable Fluorophore.

Lung cancer, the most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States, requires advanced intraoperative detection methods to improve evaluation of surgical margins. In this study we employed DDAO-arachidonate (DDAO-A), a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activatable fluorophore, designed for the specific optical identification of lung cancers in real-time during surgery. The fluorescence activation of DDAO-A by porcine sPLA2 was tested in various liposomal formulations, with 100 nm extruded EggPC showing the best overall characteristics.

Computed tomographic diagnosis of a common bile duct abscess and secondary extrahepatic biliary duct obstruction in a potbelly pig.

A potbelly pig was evaluated for anorexia and icterus. Clinicopathologic abnormalities suggested an active inflammatory hepatobiliary process. Ultrasound and CT of the abdomen revealed an extrahepatic biliary obstruction of the common bile duct (CBD).

Cystoscopic Abnormalities in Dogs Presented for Episioplasty.

A recessed vulva is a conformational abnormality that predisposes affected dogs to urinary tract infections. An episioplasty can be recommended for correction of this abnormality when medical management of recurrent urinary tract infection fails. The objective of this study was to investigate the type and incidence of urogenital abnormalities visualized by cystoscopy in dogs presenting for episioplasty.

A Cathepsin-Targeted Quenched Activity-Based Probe Facilitates Enhanced Detection of Human Tumors during Resection.

Purpose: Fluorescence-guided surgery using tumor-targeted contrast agents has been developed to improve the completeness of oncologic resections. Quenched activity-based probes that fluoresce after covalently binding to tumor-specific enzymes have been proposed to improve specificity, but none have been tested in humans. Here, we report the successful clinical translation of a cathepsin activity-based probe (VGT-309) for fluorescence-guided surgery.

Severity of nasopharyngeal collapse before and after corrective upper airway surgery in brachycephalic dogs.

Objective: To determine the severity of nasopharyngeal collapse in brachycephalic dogs before and after corrective airway surgery.

Animals: Twenty-three brachycephalic dogs (21 with clinical signs referrable to the upper airway) and nine clinically normal nonbrachycephalic dogs (controls).

Methods: Dogs were evaluated with fluoroscopy awake and standing with the head in a neutral position.

Dogs ≥ five years of age at the time of congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt diagnosis have better long-term outcomes with surgical attenuation than with medical management alone.

Objective: To determine the outcome in dogs diagnosed with congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts (EHPSS) at ≥ 5 years of age treated with medical management only (M) or with surgical attenuation (S). The hypothesis was that dogs undergoing surgical attenuation would have a longer survival time than dogs undergoing medical management only.

Animals: 351 dogs definitively diagnosed with EHPSS at ≥ 5 years of age.

Alternative Input for Perfusion Management Devices: Voice Recognition for Data Input and the Effects on Charting and Perioperative Calculation Use.

Technology in healthcare has become increasingly prevalent and user friendly. In the last decade, advances in hands-free methods of data input have become more viable in a variety of medical professions. The aim of this study was to assess the advantages or disadvantages of hands-free charting through a voice-to-text app designed for perfusionists.

Surgical treatment of a double aortic arch in a dog.

An 8-month-old spayed female Labrador retriever dog was evaluated for regurgitation 6 months after surgery for a suspected vascular ring anomaly. The dog had a history of regurgitation and slow development as a puppy. An initial left-sided exploratory thoracotomy was unsuccessful in identifying and treating a vascular ring anomaly.

Gorilla Glue Ingestion in Dogs: 22 Cases (2005-2019).

Gorilla Glue contains methylene diphenyl diisocyanate that expands significantly and hardens once exposed to moisture. Case reports of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate glue ingestion in dogs document gastrointestinal foreign body formation and mechanical obstruction. Medical record queries from four veterinary hospitals identified 22 dogs with Gorilla Glue ingestion.

Evaluation of scar revision after inadequate primary excision of cutaneous mast cell tumors in 85 dogs (2000-2013).

Objective: To determine the frequency of residual tumor, and factors associated with local recurrence and disease progression in dogs with incompletely excised mast cell tumors (MCT) following scar revision surgery.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Animals: Eighty-five dogs.

Factors influencing complications following mastectomy procedures in dogs with mammary gland tumors: 140 cases (2009-2015).

Objective: To evaluate complication rates for various types of mastectomy procedures, identify factors associated with an increased risk of complications, and determine the consequences of such complications.

Animals: 140 female dogs that underwent 154 separate mastectomy procedures to treat mammary gland tumors.

Procedures: Medical records of dogs in the Penn Vet Shelter Canine Mammary Tumor Program from July 2009 to March 2015 were reviewed.

Simultaneous quantification of cyclosporin, tacrolimus, sirolimus and everolimus in whole blood by UHPLC-MS/MS for therapeutic drug monitoring.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a UHPLC-MS/MS assay to quantify cyclosporin (CYC), tacrolimus (TAC), sirolimus (SIR) and everolimus (EVE) in human whole blood for therapeutic drug monitoring. Analytes were extracted from 50 μL human whole blood by protein precipitation. The separation of the drugs was performed on an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column.

Implementation of a Prescriptive Extracorporeal Circuit and Its Effect on Hemodilution and Blood Product Usage during Cardiac Surgery.

The use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) contributes significantly to intraoperative anemia. The use of a prescriptive circuit that is tailored to the patient size could significantly reduce priming volumes, resulting in less hemodilution. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a prescriptive circuit resulted in decreased hemodilution, reduced blood product usage, and improved outcomes.

Quantification of mycophenolic acid in human plasma by liquid chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry for therapeutic drug monitoring.

This study presents, for the first time, the development and validation of a liquid chromatography and time-of-flight mass-spectrometry (LC-TOF-MS) based assay to quantify mycophenolic acid (MPA) in patient samples as part of a routine therapeutic drug monitoring service. MPA was extracted from 50 μl human plasma by protein precipitation, using sulindac as internal standard (IS). Separation was obtained on a Luna™ Omega polar C column kept at 40°C.

Perfusion Recruitment Strategies Using Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis.

Perfusionists are leaving the workforce in higher rates as baby-boomers retire, yet the volume of cases involving perfusion continues to increase. This change has resulted in a high-demand market with organizations competing for the same candidates. The purpose of this study was to use a choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis to determine what attributes of employment opportunities are most important to perfusionists so hiring organizations are better equipped to produce employment offers specific to each candidate.

Microorganisms associated with incisional infections after gastrointestinal surgery in dogs and cats.

Objective: To determine the rate of incisional infections after gastrointestinal surgery in dogs and cats and describe the aerobic bacteria isolated from these infections.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Animals: Client-owned dogs (n = 210) and cats (n = 66).

Effect of perioperative desmopressin in cats with mammary carcinoma treated with bilateral mastectomy.

Perioperative administration of desmopressin has shown to significantly decrease rates of local recurrence and metastasis, and increase survival times in dogs with grade II and III mammary carcinomas. The objective of this study was to compare the oncologic outcome of cats with mammary carcinoma treated with bilateral mastectomy with or without perioperative administration of desmopressin. Medical records from nine veterinary institutions were searched to identify cats diagnosed with mammary carcinoma treated with bilateral mastectomy.

Discussion: can upper extremity (deltoid) near infrared spectroscopy be used to assess cerebral tissue bed saturation on femorally cannulated veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients?

Continuous cerebral tissue saturation monitoring with near infrared spectroscopy may help clinicians identify cerebral desaturation early; however, patients have reported discomfort from near infrared spectroscopy monitoring pads on the forehead. This study aims to compare upper extremity near infrared spectroscopy monitoring to cerebral near infrared spectroscopy monitoring to assess its viability as a surrogate for cerebral saturation. A retrospective analysis of 10 femorally cannulated veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients was performed comparing left (L) and right (R) upper extremity (deltoid) near infrared spectroscopy monitoring to cerebral near infrared spectroscopy monitoring (n = 20 data sets, 10 left and 10 right) and right radial blood gasses.

Intraoperative near-infrared imaging can identify canine mammary tumors, a spontaneously occurring, large animal model of human breast cancer.

Introduction: Current methods of intraoperative margin assessment in breast conserving surgery are impractical, unreliable, or time consuming. We hypothesized that intraoperative near-infrared (NIR) imaging with an FDA-approved NIR optical contrast agent could identify canine mammary tumors, a spontaneous large animal model of human breast cancer, during surgery.

Methods: Dogs with mammary tumors underwent a standard of care lumpectomy or mastectomy with wide surgical margins 20 hours after indocyanine green administration (3 mg/kg IV).

Echocardiographic Pulmonary to Left Atrial Ratio (ePLAR): A Comparison Study between Ironman Athletes, Age Matched Controls and A General Community Cohort.

Background: During exercise there is a proportionally lower rise in systemic and pulmonary pressures compared to cardiac output due to reduced vascular resistance. Invasive exercise data suggest that systemic vascular resistance reduces more than pulmonary vascular resistance. The aim of this study was the non-invasive assessment of exercise hemodynamics in ironman athletes, compared with an age matched control group and a larger general community cohort.

Near-infrared imaging and optical coherence tomography for intraoperative visualization of tumors.

Surgical excision is the foundation of treatment for early-stage solid tumors in man and companion animals. Complete excision with appropriate margins of surrounding tumor-free tissue is crucial to survival. Intraoperative imaging allows real-time visualization of tumors, assessment of surgical margins, and, potentially, lymph nodes and satellite metastatic lesions, allowing surgeons to perform complete tumor resections while sparing surrounding vital anatomic structures.

Clinical findings, diagnostic test results, and treatment outcome in cats with hiatal hernia: 31 cases (1995-2018).

Background: Information regarding clinical signs, assessment, treatment, and outcome in cats with hiatal hernia (HH) is limited.

Objectives: To characterize the clinical presentation of HH and medical and surgical outcomes in a cohort of affected cats.

Animals: Thirty-one client-owned cats with HH.

A prospective, randomized clinical trial of transverse versus longitudinal incisions for trigger finger release.

We investigated whether incision type affects scar quality or outcome following trigger finger release. Our primary and secondary hypotheses were that transverse and longitudinal incision types yield similar scar quality and functional improvement. Digits undergoing trigger finger release at the participating hospitals were randomized to receive transverse or longitudinal incisions.