Building a Foundation for High-Quality Health Data: Multihospital Case Study in Belgium.

Background: Data quality is fundamental to maintaining the trust and reliability of health data for both primary and secondary purposes. However, before the secondary use of health data, it is essential to assess the quality at the source and to develop systematic methods for the assessment of important data quality dimensions.

Objective: This case study aims to offer a dual aim-to assess the data quality of height and weight measurements across 7 Belgian hospitals, focusing on the dimensions of completeness and consistency, and to outline the obstacles these hospitals face in sharing and improving data quality standards.

Descriptive Anatomy of the Porcine Ventral Abdominal Wall as a Basis for Training Ventral Hernia Repair Techniques.

In recent times there has been a surge in innovative techniques concerning complex abdominal wall surgery. The availability of simulation models for comprehensive training and skill set development remains limited. Cadaveric dissections of the porcine abdominal wall were conducted to assess the suitability of anesthetized porcine models for training in both minimally invasive and open surgical procedures.

Sevoflurane consumption pattern by individual anaesthesiologists varies widely despite using the same high-end workstations in the same hospital.

Volatile anaesthetics are potent greenhouse gasses but contemporary workstations enable considerable savings while improving patient safety. Institutions may provide this technology to reduce the ecological footprint but proper training and motivation is required to maximize their ecologic and financial benefit. This study aims to compare the sevoflurane consumption of 22 anaesthesiologists in a medium sized hospital 4 years after flow-i workstations (Getinge, Sweden) entered into service, in three airway approaches: intubated patients, laryngeal mask ventilation, and mask anaesthesia.

Atrial Premature Depolarization-Induced Changes in QRS and T Wave Morphology on Resting Electrocardiograms in Horses.

Background: The electrocardiographic differentiation between atrial (APDs) and ventricular (VPDs) premature depolarizations is important. P wave prematurity and normal QRS and T wave morphology generally are used as discriminating criteria for APDs.

Hypothesis/objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether P, Q, R, S, and T wave amplitude, PQ interval, QRS and P wave duration and P and T wave morphology differ between APDs and sinus beats.

Assessing aortic regurgitation severity from 2D, M-mode and pulsed wave Doppler echocardiographic measurements in horses.

Aortic regurgitation (AR) in horses can lead to left ventricular (LV) eccentric hypertrophy, ventricular arrhythmia and heart failure. Objective quantification of the severity of regurgitation is difficult. The aim of this study was to evaluate dimensional measurements, systolic time intervals and blood flow velocities, acquired by standard 2D, M-mode and pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography, for quantification of AR.

Echocardiographic measurements of right heart size and function in healthy horses.

Reasons For Performing Study: Right ventricular (RV) function is scarcely described in horses.

Objectives: To establish reliable echocardiographic measurements of right heart size and function in horses.

Study Design: Descriptive study in healthy horses.

Pharmacokinetics of intravenously and orally administered sotalol hydrochloride in horses and effects on surface electrocardiogram and left ventricular systolic function.

Arrhythmias are common in horses. Some, such as frequent atrial or ventricular premature beats, may require long-term anti-arrhythmic therapy. In humans and small animals, sotalol hydrochloride (STL) is often used for chronic oral anti-arrhythmic therapy.

Total plasma proANP increases with atrial dilatation in horses.

Equine atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) plasma concentrations are correlated with left atrial size. However, species-specific assays are lacking and the results from human assays are poorly reproducible. A new methodology called processing independent analysis (PIA) that measures the total proANP product in plasma has proven to be successful in human medicine, but has never been used in horses.

Analytical validation of a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T assay in horses.

Although cardiac troponin T (cTnT) assays have been used to detect myocardial damage in horses, a cTnT assay has not been analytically validated, to our knowledge. The aims of this study were to estimate the precision of a high-sensitivity cTnT assay in horses and determine the effect of hemolysis on the measured cTnT concentration. Serum samples from horses were mixed in 3 different pools.

Veal Calves Produce Less Antibodies against C. Perfringens Alpha Toxin Compared to Beef Calves.

Enterotoxaemia is a disease with a high associated mortality rate, affecting beef and veal calves worldwide, caused by C. perfringens alpha toxin and perfringolysin. A longitudinal study was conducted to determine the dynamics of antibodies against these toxins in 528 calves on 4 beef and 15 veal farms.

Risk factors for recurrence of atrial fibrillation in horses after cardioversion to sinus rhythm.

Background: Although atrial fibrillation (AF) can be successfully treated in horses, recurrence occurs frequently. In humans, atrial function after cardioversion can predict recurrence.

Objectives: To examine the prognostic value of atrial mechanical function at 24 hours after cardioversion and other potential predictor variables for AF recurrence in horses.

Right atrial and right ventricular ultrasound-guided biopsy technique in standing horses.

Reasons For Performing Study: Endomyocardial biopsies could be a valuable tool in equine cardiology for diagnosing myocardial disease, which is probably underdiagnosed in horses because of lack of specific diagnostic measures and limitations of currently available diagnostic methods.

Objectives: To describe a technique for serial right atrial and right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy in standing horses using a percutaneous approach through the jugular vein.

Study Design: Prospective study.

Cardiac troponin I as compared to troponin T for the detection of myocardial damage in horses.

Background: Different cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assays give different results. Only 1 manufacturer has marketed troponin T (cTnT) assays. Therefore, cTnT often is preferred for detection of myocardial infarction in human patients.

Evaluation of assays for troponin I in healthy horses and horses with cardiac disease.

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a marker for detection of myocardial damage in horses. Many cTnI assays exist and medical studies have shown that the clinical performance of assays differs. The aim of this study was to compare two different cTnI assays in horses.

Influence of detomidine on atrial fibrillation cycle length measured by intracardiac electrogram recording and by colour tissue Doppler imaging in horses.

Reasons For Performing Study: Shortening of atrial fibrillation cycle length (AFCL) is a marker of atrial electrical remodelling due to atrial fibrillation (AF).

Objectives: To investigate the effect of administration of detomidine on AFCL measured invasively from an intra-atrial electrogram (AFCLEGM) and noninvasively by tissue Doppler imaging (AFCLTDI). We hypothesised that detomidine would have no effect on AFCL but would improve the ease of TDI measurements and facilitate noninvasive AFCL determination.

Atrial natriuretic peptide vs. N-terminal-pro-atrial natriuretic peptide for the detection of left atrial dilatation in horses.

Reasons For Performing Study: Studies on the use of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) as a biomarker for left atrial dilatation in horses have produced variable results. Few have been performed, and the results may have been influenced by ANP instability, differences in sampling protocol and changes in the assay over time. N-Terminal proANP (NT-proANP) is a more stable molecule and might be a good alternative for clinical use.

Atrial fibrillation cycle length and atrial size in horses with and without recurrence of atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) cycle length (CL) and atrial size have been used in humans to characterize electrical and structural remodeling to predict outcome of cardioversion of AF and risk for AF recurrence (rAF).

Hypothesis: Atrial fibrillation cycle length can be determined in horses with AF, and AFCL and atrial size are related to risk for rAF.

Animals: Eighteen horses with naturally occurring AF that were successfully converted to sinus rhythm (SR) by transvenous electrical cardioversion (TVEC).

Long-term follow-up of atrial function after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation in horses.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) causes atrial electrical and contractile remodelling in horses. The aim of this study was to quantify left atrial (LA) contractile function and its time course of recovery after cardioversion of naturally-occurring AF in horses. The study population included 42 AF horses which were successfully treated using transvenous electrical cardioversion TVEC (n=39) or quinidine sulfate (n=3), with trivial or mild mitral regurgitation present in 25 horses.

Noninvasive determination of atrial fibrillation cycle length by atrial colour tissue Doppler imaging in horses.

Reasons For Performing Study: Atrial fibrillation cycle length (AFCL) is an indicator of atrial electrical remodelling during atrial fibrillation (AF).

Objectives: To compare AFCL measured invasively from an intra-atrial electrogram (AFCLEGM ) with AFCL measured noninvasively by atrial colour tissue Doppler imaging (AFCLTDI ).

Study Design: Prospective descriptive clinical study.

Ventricular response during lungeing exercise in horses with lone atrial fibrillation.

Reasons For Performing The Study: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most important dysrhythmia affecting performance in horses and has been associated with incoordination, collapse and sudden death. Limited information is available on ventricular response during exercise in horses with lone AF.

Objectives: To investigate ventricular response in horses with lone AF during a standardised lungeing exercise test.