Pressure Algometry for the Detection of Mechanical Nociceptive Thresholds in Horses.
Abstract: The clinical assessment of pain is subjective; therefore, variations exist between practitioners in their ability to identify and localize pain. Due to differing interpretations of the signs or severity of pain equine practitioners may assign varying levels of clinical significance and treatment options. There is a critical need to develop better tools to qualify and quantify pain in horses. Palpation is the most common method to detect local tenderness or sensitivity. To quantify this applied pressure, pressure algometry has been used to gradually apply pressure over specified landmarks until an avoidance response is noted, which is defined as the mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT). Numerous studies have used pressure algometry in different applications to measure MNTs in horses. There is an acute need to establish normative values within different body regions and to develop standardized methods of testing MNTs to better guide practitioners in the diagnosis and treatment of pain. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the evidence for the use of pressure algometry in horses. There is good evidence that pressure algometry is a repeatable, semi-objective method that can be used in a wide array of clinical and research applications to assess MNTs in horses.
Publication Date: 2020-11-24 PubMed ID: 33255216PubMed Central: PMC7760268DOI: 10.3390/ani10122195Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research paper discusses an outbreak of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among horses and staff at a veterinary teaching hospital, which was believed to have been introduced by a veterinarian. The particular strain of the bacteria, known as spa type t002, was uncommon in this setting. The study also emphasizes the measures taken to contain the outbreak and prevent further transmission between horses and personnel.
Background to the Research
- The study begins by addressing the issue of MRSA infections and colonization in equine veterinary hospitals. It notes how strains of the bacteria, differing from those typical in human healthcare, have emerged as problematic within these facilities.
- The research paper mentions a previous incident in 2010, where an outbreak of MRSA spa type t535 affected both horses and personnel in an Israeli veterinary teaching hospital. This event led to ongoing surveillance and periods of MRSA isolation.
Outbreak of MRSA spa type t002
- In this study, the focus is on a subsequent event where spa type t002, a strain often seen in human medicine in Israel, was isolated from a veterinarian and later, from a horse.
- This occurrence prompted a survey of hospital personnel and hospitalized horses to identify the prevalence of the bacteria.
- The results revealed MRSA carriage rates of 16.9% among staff and 50% among horses. Moreover, carriers were more common among Large Animal Department (LAD) personnel compared to non-LAD staff.
- All horses and the majority of personnel were found to be carriers of MRSA spa type t002, the same strain identified earlier from one veterinarian. The bacteria were also found in a postoperative wound in a horse.
Measures to Contain the Outbreak
- The study outlines how measures, as employed during the previous outbreak, were enforced again to control transmission.
- These containment strategies were successful in decreasing transmission rates and eventually led to the cessation of the cross-transmission between horses and personnel.
Cite This Article
APA
Haussler KK.
(2020).
Pressure Algometry for the Detection of Mechanical Nociceptive Thresholds in Horses.
Animals (Basel), 10(12).
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10122195 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The author declares no conflict of interest.
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