Search

Abstract Background Mastitis is one of the most costly diseases in Mediterranean buffalo (MB). At present, just a few specific antibiotics registered for this dairy specie have been synthetized. Efficacy of an antibiotic dry buffalo therapy (aDBT) against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) mastitis, based on intra-quarter administration of 600 mg of benzathine cloxacillin, have been evaluated for the first time. Eighty MB’s quarters received a drying-off therapy (aDBT-group) and 80 were left untreated (no-aDBT-group). They were sampled at drying-off (pre-treatment) and at the resumption of milking [

The study aims to verify the usefulness of new intervals-based algorithms for clinical interpretation of animal behavior in dairy cows around calving period. Thirteen activities associated with feeding-ruminating-locomotion-behaviors of 42 adult Holstein-Friesian cows were continuously monitored for the week (wk) -2, wk -1 and wk +1 relative to calving (overall 30'340 min/animal). Soon after, animals were retrospectively assigned to group-S (at least one spontaneous diseases; n = 24) and group-H (healthy; n = 18). The average activities performed by the groups, recorded by RumiWatch® halter and pedometer, were compared at the different weekly intervals. The average activities on the day of clinical diagnosis (dd0), as well as one (dd-1) and two days before (dd-2) were also assessed. Differences of dd0 vs. dd-1 (ΔD1), dd0 vs. wk -1 (ΔD2), and wk +1 vs. wk -1 (Δweeks) were calculated. Variables showing significant differences between the groups were used for a univariate logistic regression, a receiver operating characteristic analysis, and a multivariate logistic regression model. At wk +1 and dd0, eating- and ruminating-time, eating- and ruminate-chews and ruminating boluses were significantly lower in group-S as compared to group-H, while other activity time was higher. For ΔD2 and Δweeks, the differences of eating- and ruminating-time, as well as of eating-and ruminate-chews were significantly lower in group-S as compared to group-H. Concerning the locomotion behaviors, the lying time was significantly higher in group-S vs. group-H at wk +1 and dd-2. The number of strides was significantly lower in group-S compared to group-H at wk +1. The model including eating-chews, ruminate-chews and other activity time reached the highest accuracy in detecting sick cows in wk +1 (area under the curve: 81%; sensitivity: 73.7%; specificity: 82.4%). Some of the new algorithms for the clinical interpretation of cow behaviour as described in this study may contribute to monitoring animals' health around calving.

One hundred twenty-four water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) originating from 9 farms located in southern Italy were tested to investigate simultaneously, for the first time, the seroprevalence of the protozoa Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii and Besnoitia besnoiti by ELISA tests and to evaluate the clinical findings potentially associated to the presence of these aborting parasitic pathogens. Twenty-five of 124 buffaloes (20.2%) were positive for N. caninum, while 17/124 (13.7%) for T. gondii. No buffalo showed specific antibodies for B. besnoiti. Nineteen of 124 animals (15.3%) were found seropositive for both T. gondii and N. caninum. The univariate statistical analysis showed that the seroprevalence of N. caninum is significantly associated with abortion and presence of retained foetal membranes, while the seroprevalence of T. gondii is significantly associated with an increase of days open. The logistic regression models showed that the co-infection by N. caninum and T. gondii strengthened the abortive effects (OR = 7.330) and showed further negative effects on the parameter embryonic death (OR = 2.607). The outcome revealed herein represents a high exposure of N. caninum and T. gondii in water buffaloes with reproduction disorders that deserves attention for both economic reasons, animal health and welfare.

The aims of the investigation were to establish for the first time (i) clinical efficacy and (ii) pharmacokinetic profile of meloxicam intravenously (IV) administered in male Mediterranean buffalo calves after surgical orchiectomy. The study was performed on 10 healthy buffalo calves, between 4 and 5 months old and between 127 and 135 kg of body weight (b.w.). An IV injection of 0.5 mg/kg b.w. of meloxicam was administered in six calves (treated group, TG) immediately after surgery; the other four animals were used as untreated control group (CG). The clinical efficacy of meloxicam was evaluated pre- and post-surgery by monitoring respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), rectal temperature (T°C), serum cortisol levels (SCL) and pain score (PS). Significant inter-groups differences were detected at sampling times (T): 4 hour (h) for RR (P

Background and Aims: Adaptive immunity is gaining a significant role in progression of metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). B‐cell activity can be assessed by serum‐free light chains (sFLCs) k and λ levels. The objective of the present investigation is to examine the utility of sFLCs as non‐invasive biomarkers for the stratification of MASLD. Methods: We enrolled a consecutive cohort from an outpatient liver unit. Diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatohepatitis (MASH) was made with liver biopsy according to current guidelines. Compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) and clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) were defined according to Baveno VII criteria. sFLCs were measured by turbidimetry using an immunoassay. Results: We evaluated 254 patients, 162/254 (63.8%) were male. Median age was 54 years old, and the median body mass index was 28.4 kg/m2. A total of 157/254 (61.8%) subjects underwent liver biopsy: 88 had histological diagnosis of MASH, 89 were considered as simple metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver (MASL) and 77/254 (30.3%) patients with compensated metabolic dysfunction‐associated cirrhosis. By using Baveno VII criteria, 101/254 (39.7%) patients had cACLD; among them, 45/101 (44.5%) had CSPH. Patients with cACLD showed higher sFLC levels compared with patients without cACLD (p <.01), and patients with CSPH showed higher sFLC levels than patients without CSPH (p <.01). At multivariable analysis, sFLCs were associated with cACLD (p <.05) independently from γ‐globulins and other known dysmetabolic risk factors. κFLC was associated with CSPH (p <.05) independently from γ‐globulins and other known dysmetabolic risk factors. Conclusion: sFLCs could be a simple biomarker for stratification of cACLD in MASLD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Knowledge of the cumulative balance of sodium (CBS) is important for the diagnosis of salt disorders and water homeostasis and has the potential to predict hypovolemic status in acute neurological patients. However, an extensive application of the use of CBS is still lacking in the intensive care setting, where salt and water homeostasis represents a priority. Methods Records of consecutive series of acute neurological patients admitted to a neurointensive care unit over a 6-month period were retrospectively reviewed. CBS was calculated at the admission to the Emergency Department. Discrimination between cerebral salt-wasting syndrome (CSWS) and the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) was performed on the basis of the classical criteria. Additionally, we used the findings of a negative CBS exceeding 2 mEq/kg for the diagnosis of CSWS. Two independent clinicians who were blinded to the CBS results performed diagnosis of the causes of hyponatremia and estimated the daily volemic status of the patients on the basis of clinical parameters. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent prognostic factors of hypovolemia. Results Thirty-five patients were studied for a total of 418 days. Four patients (11.4%) fitted the criteria of CSWS and three patients (8.5%) had SIADH. The unavailability of the CBS led to a wrong diagnosis in three of the eight hyponatremic patients (37.5%). The risk of developing hypovolemia in patients with negative CBS was 7.1 times higher (CI 3.86-13.06; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that negative cumulative fluid balance, negative CBS > 2 mEq/kg, and CVP ≤ 5 cm [H.sub.2]O were independent prognostic factors for hypovolemia. Conclusions CBS is likely to be a useful parameter in the diagnosis of CSWS and a surrogate parameter for estimating hypovolemia in acute neurological patients. Keywords Cerebral salt-wasting syndrome * Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion * Cumulative balance of sodium * Hypovolemia, Introduction Critically ill adult neurologic patients have a high incidence of salt and water homeostasis disorders [1]. Hyponatremia is one of the most common of these disorders, and when associated [...]

Penetrating injuries to the spine, although less common than motor vehicle accidents and falls, are important causes of injury to the spinal cord. They are essentially of two varieties: gunshot or stab wounds. Gunshot injuries to the spine are more commonly described. Stab wounds are usually inflicted by knife or other sharp objects. Rarer objects causing incidental spinal injuries include glass fragments, wood pieces, chopsticks, nailguns, and injection needles. Just few cases of penetrating vertebral injuries caused by pencil are described. The current case concerns a 42-year-old man with an accidental penetrating stonemason pencil injury into the vertebral canal without neurological deficit. After the self-removal of the foreign object the patient complained of a disabling orthostatic headache. The early identification and treatment of the intracranial hypotension due to the posttraumatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sacral fistulae were mandatory to avoid further neurological complications. In the current literature acute pattern of intracranial hypotension immediately after a penetrating injury of the vertebral column has never been reported.

Author(s): Paolo Gritti [sup.1], Luigi Andrea Lanterna [sup.2], Mariachiara Re [sup.1], Svetlana Martchenko [sup.1], Paola Olivotto [sup.1], Carlo Brembilla [sup.2], Cristina Agostinis [sup.3], Guido Paganoni [sup.1], Ferdinando Luca Lorini [sup.4] [...], The use of inhaled nitric oxide in patients with traumatic brain injury, intracranial hypertension, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been reported in an intensive care unit setting only in a few case reports. The use of the prone position for patients with traumatic brain injury and lung impairment has been reported only in selected cases. Here we report our experience with the use of both inhaled nitric oxide and the prone position together in the operating room in a patient with head injury and ARDS who underwent column stabilization.

Aneurysmal bone cyst is a pseudotumoral lesion. Complete resection prior to selective arterial embolization seems to be the treatment of choice for the more extensive and destructive lesions. In these cases maintaining stability of the cervical spine is critical. This can be very challenging in children and adolescents in whom the axial skeleton is still growing. In this case a young girl presented with a voluminous cervical aneurysmal bone cyst encaging both vertebral arteries and spinal cord. The lesion was treated with aggressive surgical resection, followed by cervical vertebral fusion with instrumentation. After nine months the patient referred no pain and no neurological deficit. MRI scans showed an extensive local recurrence. The family of the young girl refused any other therapy and any other followup. The patients returned to our attention after five years with no pain and neurological deficit. Cervical spine radiographs and MRI scans showed a complete regression of the extensive local recurrence. In the literature, the possibility of spontaneous regression of residual part or local recurrence is reported. The case of this young girl provided the chance to attend a spontaneous regression in an extensive recurrence of aneurismal bone cyst.

Candida osteomyelitis in the current literature is an emerging infection. The factors contributing to its emergence include a growing population of immunosuppressed patients, invasive surgeries, broad-spectrum antibiotics, injection drug users, and alcohol abuse. The diagnosis requires a high degree of suspicion. The insidious progression of infection and the nonspecificity of laboratory and radiologic findings may contribute to a delay in diagnosis. The current case concerns a 27-year-old man with a spinal cord injury who, after undergoing anterior cervical fixation and fusion surgery, developed postoperative systemic bacterial infection and required long-term antibiotic therapy. After six months, a CT scan demonstrated an almost complete anterior dislocation of the implants caused by massive bone destruction and reabsorption in Candida albicans infection. The patient underwent a second intervention consisting firstly of a posterior approach with C4–C7 fixation and fusion, followed by a second anterior approach with a corpectomy of C5 and C6, a tricortical bone grafting from the iliac crest, and C4–C7 plating. The antifungal therapy with fluconazole was effective without surgical debridement of the bone graft, despite the fact that signs of the bone graft being infected were seen from the first cervical CT scans carried out after one month.

Background: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a life‐threatening disorder characterized by severe ADAMTS13 deficiency. The acquired form is associated with autoantibodies directed against ADAMTS13. Both noninhibitory and inhibitory autoantibodies can be detected by ELISA assay, while only inhibitory autoantibodies are detected by Bethesda assay. Due to its short TAT and good performance, chemiluminescence (CliA) ADAMTS13 activity (HemosIL Acustar) has proven to be a good choice in the diagnosis of TTP in emergency settings. Aim of this study was to analyse the performance of the CliA ADAMTS13 activity assay in detecting inhibitory ADAMTS13 antibodies using the Bethesda assay. Methods: A method comparison study was performed on 69 stored samples: 11 acute TTPs, 38 TTP follow‐ups, 5 TTP relapses, 1 congenital TTP, 10 HUS, 4 suspected TTPs. We retrieved the results of tests previously run in ELISA for both activity and autoantibodies. At the same time, we reran new tests including ELISA and CliA activity, ELISA autoantibodies, and ELISA and CliA Bethesda assays on thawed frozen samples. Results: Very good correlation was observed between ELISA and CliA activity assay results (r = 0.96) and between archived ELISA and CliA activity results (r = 0.93). Agreement between the anti‐ADAMTS13 assays ranged from good (k = 0.63) to very good (k = 0.92). Conclusions: CliA and ELISA Bethesda assays showed very good agreement with samples run at the same time using ELISA ADAMTS13‐autoantibody assay. Albeit more expensive, the CliA Bethesda assay identified inhibitory anti‐ADAMTS13 within almost the same TAT as ELISA, but with better automation and limited operator involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]