A 180-kg, male neutered 15-year-old shetland pony was referred to the authors’ clinic with a chronic purulent wound on the left flank and mild weight loss. Surgical treatment under sedation with local anaesthesia was already attempted twice, but each time within two months a new fistula was evident. Abdominal ultrasound exam revealed a possible abscess in the abdomen with no clear margins, indicative of extension of infected tissue or the presence of a foreign body. General anaesthesia for wound curettage surgery was scheduled. Complication during anaesthesia was a massive unexpected acute bleeding from adhesions of the abscess to the spleen, caused by a foreign body which had probably perforated the stomach.

A seven-year-old, 25-kg female crossbreed dog received segmental thoracic epidural anaesthesia for left lateral thoracotomy and lung lobectomy. At presentation mild exercise intolerance and weight loss were reported. A chest CT scan revealed a solitary soft tissue mass in the left caudal lobe. Lung lobectomy surgery was scheduled. Under isoflurane anaesthesia, an epidural catheter was threaded through T13–L1 and advanced 50 mm cranially. Bupivacaine and morphine were administered 30 minutes before incision and at 12-hour intervals thereafter. To minimise side effects, the postoperative dose was titrated to guarantee segmental analgesia. Purposeful movements and signs of sympathetic stimulation in response to surgery were not observed. Intraoperatively, a transient 13% increase in arterial blood pressure occurred, while heart rate remained stable compared with baseline. Although the intended postoperative dose was decreased to prevent side effects, pain scores were below the analgesic intervention score. The catheter was removed on the fourth postoperative day. Complications and neurological sequelae were not noticed.

In a previous study that used butorphanol in pigs before castration performed under isoflurane anaesthesia, severe adverse effects were recorded. As in pigs, this has not been reported before, we aimed to investigate the effects of butorphanol in piglets. In this study ten 27 days old piglets were randomly allocated to receive either 0,2 mg/kg butorphanol (group B) or saline 0,9% (control group C) intramuscularly. Their behaviour was as-sessed for 60 minutes by two independent observers from videotapes. Two to 15 minutes after application, piglets in group B showed restlessness, distress and excessive vocalisation. Locomotor activity was increased, the piglets laid down considerably less frequently (p = 0,034) and for shorter time periods (p = 0,0014) during the first 40 minutes compared to group C. Group C animals slept most time of the experiment (45,1 ± 2,9 minutes in group C vs 12,7 ± 2,9 minutes in group B, p < 0,0001). After receiving butorphanol, pigs showed jumping against the wall (mean 1,2 times per minute during the first 30 minutes in group B vs 0 times per minute in group C, p = 0,0011). In group B, one animal pressed its head against the wall and four animals showed severe panting and gasping. Thirty minutes after butorphanol application piglets became hyperthermic (41 ± 0,7°C group B vs 39,6 ± 0,3°C group C, p = 0,0075). The results of this study show that 0,2 mg/kg butorphanol intramuscularly induces severe side effects in pain-free piglets that are similar to those reported following opioid administration in other species.

No abstract

Inguinal hernia is one of the commonest medical problems in Africa and the treatment via open repair is considered as one of the most affordable and secure procedures. In the industrialized countries, the gold standard treatment is represented by placing a prosthesis which is usually a mesh, made of alloplastic material, such as polypropylene. In developing countries, a piece of nylon mosquito-net without insecticide is a cheaper and safe alternative as prosthesis. This study shows the security of implant of nylon mosquito-net in 70 patients, operated on with Lichtenstein’s tension-free technique, and performed in rural hospitals of Southern Sudan. The easy use of analyzed low-cost material and the demonstrated safety of these sterilized prostheses are two important factors that make them excellent solutions in poor and rural areas such as Southern Sudan. Objective: the aim of this article is to demonstrate that prostheses, made of well analyzed low-cost material, can be cost-effective and a valid solution for surgical inguinal hernia repair in both poor and rural developing areas