Multiple factors were associated with failure to survive and development of septic peritonitis after gastrointestinal surgery in dogs. Aggressive perioperative attempts to increase protein concentrations and intraoperative surgical strategies to decrease the chance of a poor outcome may be indicated in dogs with risk factors identified in this study.

Sentinel lymph node evaluation is widely used in human medicine to evaluate the first lymph node(s) to which a tumor drains. Sentinel lymph node biopsy allows avoidance of extensive lymphadenectomies in cases where the sentinel lymph node is negative for metastasis, thereby reducing patient morbidity. It has been shown that regional lymph nodes are not always the sentinel lymph node, thus identification and sampling of sentinel lymph nodes allows for more accurate staging, which is critical for treatment and prognostication in dogs with cancer. The objective of this prospective, pilot study was to determine if indirect computed tomography (CT) lymphangiography with aqueous contrast agent would successfully allow identification of sentinel lymph nodes in dogs with masses on the head. Eighteen dogs underwent CT lymphangiography. The sentinel lymph node was successfully identified within 3 min of contrast injection in 16 dogs (89%). Compression of lymphatic vessels from endotracheal tube ties and/or the patient's own body weight delayed or prevented identification of sentinel lymph nodes in two dogs (11%). Computed tomography lymphangiography with aqueous contrast can be used successfully to rapidly identify sentinel lymph nodes in dogs with masses on the head.

Dogs with CEHPSS treated by ARC generally have a good prognosis and prolonged postoperative survival.

Ever since the role of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) in controlling a wide variety of biological functions was discovered approximately three decades back, multiple NO-releasing polymeric materials have been developed. However, most of these materials are typically short lived due to the inefficient incorporation of the NO donor molecules within the polymer matrix. In the present study, S-nitroso- N-acetyl penicillamine (SNAP) is covalently attached to poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) to create a highly stable nitric oxide (NO) releasing material for biomedical applications. By tethering SNAP to the cross-linker of PDMS, the NO donor is unable to leach into the surrounding environment. This is the first time that a sustainable NO release and bacterial inhibition for over 125 days has been achieved by any NO-releasing polymer with supporting evidence of potential long-term hemocompatibility and biocompatibility. The material proves to have very high antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus by demonstrating a 99.99% reduction in the first 3 days in a continuous flow CDC bioreactor, whereas a similar inhibitory potential of 99.50% was maintained by the end of 1 month. Hemocompatibility of SNAP-PDMS was tested using a rabbit extracorporeal circuit (ECC) model over a 4 h period. Thrombus formation was greatly reduced within the SNAP-PDMS-coated ECCs compared to the control circuits, observing a 78% reduction in overall thrombus mass accumulation. These results demonstrate the potential of utilizing this material for blood and tissue contacting biomedical devices in long-term clinical applications where infection and unwanted clotting are major issues.

Devices used for extracorporeal circulation are met with two major medical concerns: thrombosis and infection. A device that allows for anticoagulant-free circulation while reducing the risk of infection has yet to be developed. We report the use of a copper nanoparticle (Cu NP) catalyst for the release of nitric oxide (NO) from the endogenous donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) in a coating applied to commercial Tygon S3 E-3603 poly­(vinyl chloride) tubing in order to reduce the adhered bacterial viability and the occurrence of thrombosis for the first time in an animal model. A Cu GSNO-coated material demonstrated a nitric oxide (NO) release flux ranging from an initial flux of 6.3 ± 0.9 × 10–10 mol cm–2 min–1 to 7.1 ± 0.4 × 10–10 mol cm–2 min–1 after 4 h of release, while GSNO loops without Cu NPs only ranged from an initial flux of 1.1 ± 0.2 × 10–10 mol cm–2 min–1 to 2.3 ± 0.2 × 10–10 mol cm–2 min–1 after 4 h of release, indicating that the addition of Cu NPs can increase NO flux up to five times in the same 4 h period. Additionally, a 3-log reduction in Staphylococcus aureus and 1-log reduction in Pseudomonas aeruginosa were observed in viable bacterial adhesion over a 24 h period compared to control loops. A Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to validate no overall cytotoxicity toward 3T3 mouse fibroblasts. Finally, extracorporeal circuits were coated and exposed to 4 h of blood flow under an in vivo rabbit model. The Cu GSNO combination was successful in maintaining 89.3% of baseline platelet counts, while the control loops were able to maintain 67.6% of the baseline. These results suggest that the combination of Cu NPs with GSNO increases hemocompatibility and antimicrobial properties of ECC loops without any cytotoxic effects toward mammalian cells.