[Comparison of the efficiency of inhalation and injection anaesthesia for the castration of male suckling piglets in different organic farms]

OBJECTIVE

In Germany, injection and inhalation anesthesia with the addition of an analgesic drug are an interim solution to surgical castration under general anesthesia due to the ban on non-anesthetic castration of male suckling piglets under 8 days of age. However, the efficiency of both anesthetic procedures is submit to controversial discussion. Most of the studies addressing this question only examined one of the procedures in comparison to piglets castrated without anesthesia or uncastrated controls. Comparisons between the anesthesia methods, especially under conditions of organically working farms, are almost completely lacking. The aim of the present study was therefore to compare the efficacy of injection and inhalation anesthesia under practical conditions in 7 organic farms as well as to examine the effect of metamizole administered in addition to meloxicam.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

For this purpose, 514 male suckling piglets were examined with regard to anesthesia efficiency (reflex test, defence behaviour), body temperature, post-operative bleeding and wound healing, post-operative behavior and pain behavior as well as the course of the recovery phase.

RESULTS

The results show a basic superiority of inhalation anesthesia over injection anesthesia, especially in the areas of anesthetic efficacy, thermoregulation and duration of the recovery phase. In 7.7 to 15 % of piglets, the perianal and interclaw reflexes studied were still present at the time of castration. Following injection and inhalation anesthesia, in total 83.6 (25.2 %) of the piglets showed at least one of the following criteria: positive reflex response, clear defensive movements or vocalisations. Body temperature dropped by 0.41 °C under inhalation anesthesia and by 1.82 °C under injection anesthesia. Post-castration bleeding and wound healing were hardly influenced by the type of anesthesia. Almost all piglets showed signs of pain and pain-associated behavior for 5 and 72 hours after castration, regardless of the type of anesthesia. The post-castration recovery phases lasted significantly longer after injection anesthesia (107 minutes) than following inhalation anesthesia (33.3 minutes) until the piglets were returned to the sow.

CONCLUSION

Neither injection nor inhalation anesthesia in spite of additional administration of meloxicam, nor the supplementary use of metamizole, fulfil the EU requirements for painless castration.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The necessary analgesia during and after castration of male suckling piglets is not achieved under either isoflurane or ketamine/azaperone anesthesia, despite the use of meloxicam and metamizole.

Swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome is influenced by husbandry and quality of sow in suckling piglets, weaners and fattening pigs

BACKGROUND

Swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome (SINS) is a newly identified syndrome in swine that can affect different parts of the extremities in suckling piglets. This study investigates the hypotheses that the clinical signs of SINS have histological equivalents, that SINS can also be observed in weaners and fatteners, that improving sow quality and husbandry (here the supply of water and fibre) can reduce the signs, and that coprostasis in sows is significantly associated with SINS in their offspring. From a cohort of 123 hybrid sows, the twenty sows exhibiting the best conditions and the twenty exhibiting the worst conditions were selected based on detailed scores from coronary bands, soles, heels, claws and teats. Half of the sows in each group, along with their offspring, were kept under conventional conditions, while the environment for the remaining sows in each group was improved with drinking bowls, water disinfection and additional feeding with hay and straw. In total, 115 suckling piglets, 113 weaners and 103 fatteners were scored for the degree of inflammation and necrosis of their tails, ears, teats, coronary bands, soles, heels and claws.

RESULTS

The clinical signs of SINS are associated with inflammatory signs at the histological level. SINS scores in suckling piglets, weaners and fatteners derived from low-quality sows under standard husbandry conditions were high, but they decreased significantly when husbandry was improved (water consumption and additional fibre). Sow quality had significant effects on suckling piglets and weaners under standard husbandry conditions. Coprostasis in sows led to significantly higher SINS scores in their offspring at any age. Improved husbandry conditions were associated with a reduced prevalence of coprostasis (R2 = 0.74). Taking all factors together, husbandry improvements, sow quality and coprostasis explained 57, 67 and 45% of SINS score variance in suckling piglets, weaners and fatteners, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The present study shows that SINS is not limited to suckling piglets but can also be found in weaners and fatteners. Coprostasis in sows is significantly correlated with SINS in their offspring and adds a good prognostic tool. Water supply and fibre could play a crucial role in combatting the syndrome.

[A new possibility for determining the size and position of the tricortical bone graft in ventral spine stabilisation]

AIM

Ventral stabilisation of thoracolumbar fractures is often done with autogenous iliac crest grafts as an alternative to other filling and stabilisation systems. Today the golden standard for this kind of reconstruction is the minimally invasive thoracoscopic stabilization. Often there was a problem with the determination of the size and the position of the graft, especially on video-assisted minimally invasive stabilisation. The aim of this study was now to develop a new instrument that would be able to minimise this kind of intraoperative problems.

METHOD

For measuring and for checking the exact position of the bone graft the vertebrometer as a new measuring apparatus was developed. With the simple and good handling of the vertebrometer, there is an easy possibility of determine the size and the position of the graft. As this tool is made of metal, it is possible to localise and to check the positioning and the right size of the necessary bone graft during the intraoperative radiological control.

DISCUSSION

This tool may help to improve the prognosis of osseous integration of the implanted material and lower the rate of pseudarthrosis. Furthermore, the handling of the thoracoscopic ventral stabilisation may be somewhat easier and, even for the inexperienced surgeon, there is now an instrument available to fit in the graft with a satisfactory result.

[An X-ray appliance for postoperative control of osteosynthesis with locking plate in patients with distal fracture of the radius]

PURPOSE

A possible complication in regard to osteosynthetic treatment of a lower radius fracture with a locking plate is perforation of the articular surface by screws or a malpositioned ulnar fragment. In order to create good conditions for a homogeneous, reproducible X-ray picture for post-operative imaging control, an appliance for the production of standardised X-ray views has been devised.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The X-ray device was constructed at an angle of 20 degrees to the camera. The arm was positioned on the appliance in the side beam path, in shoulder adduction as well as in the dp-beam in 90 degrees abduction of the shoulder.

RESULTS

Through standardisation of the X-ray technique the appliance it is able to supply comparable and reproducible X-ray images. In practice, the representation of both the joint gap and the bolt in the resulting image could be improved.

CONCLUSIONS

Better and comparable picture series can be created by standardisation of the imaging technique using this X-ray device.

[The hip head-conserving management of traumatic medial cervical hip fractures with big-fragment screws: a biomechanical examination]

AIM

With the growing number of elderly people in the population and the increasing incidence of proximal hip fractures the question of how to manage the medial hip head fracture is of increasing importance. Especially in Hungary and the Scandinavian countries surgeons prefer hip head-conserving therapy although the redislocation of this fracture and necrosis of the hip head opposes this point of view.

METHOD

Encouraged by two theoretical and mathematical calculations, we tested two different possibilities to screw hip head fractures.

RESULTS

Our results show that the hip head-conserving therapy with two cranial screws and a three-point-supported screw at Adam's arc has essential biomechanical advantages compared with the situation after conventional osteosynthesis.

CONCLUSION

This result encourages us to prefer the minimally invasive head-conserving therapy of medial hip head fractures, especially for treatment of Pauwell's I and II injuries.