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Summary The uteri of 77 postparturient dairy cows were sampled. Samples were cultured aerobically and anaerobically, and the nature of bacterial growth was identified. A mixed aerobic and anaerobic bacterial infection was found in 55 % of the samples. Actinomyces pyogenes was the predominant aerobic species; it was found in 70 % of the samples, whereas Bacteroides melaninogenicus was the most frequent anaerobic species isolated. Altogether, 16 species belonging to the genus Bacteroides were identified with variable frequencies. It appears that more than one Bacteroides species colonizes the uterus of a given cow postpartum. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of clindamycin, metronidazole, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin for 83 anaerobic isolates were determined. All isolates were susceptible to clindamycin (MIC90 of 0.064 μg/ml) and all but two to metronidazole. Susceptibility to ciprofloxacin was variable, with a bimodal distribution of MIC values. The MIC of tetracycline for 90 % of the isolates was >256 μg/ml.

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Purpose To evaluate the impact of postponed care attributed to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns on visual acuity and the number of anti-VEGF injections in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Methods A multicenter, retrospective study of consecutive RVO patients previously treated with anti-VEGF injections, which compared data from pre- (2019) and during (2020) COVID-19 lockdown period. Results A total of 814 RVO patients with a mean age of 72.8 years met the inclusion criteria. Of them, 439 patients were assessed in 2019 and 375 in 2020. There was no significant difference between the COVID-19 and pre-COVID-19 period in terms of baseline and final BCVA ( p = 0.7 and 0.9 respectively), but there was a significantly reduced mean number of anti-VEGF injections during the COVID-19 period (5.0 and. 5.9 respectively, p < 0.01), with a constant lower ratio of injections per patient. A noticeable decline was found during March–May ( p < 0.01) in 2020. Baseline BCVA (0.69, p < 0.01) and the number of injections (− 0.01, p = 0.01) were predictors of final BCVA. Conclusions In a large cohort of RVO patients, during 2020 lockdowns imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant reduction in the annual number of anti-VEGF injections was noted. The postponed care did not result in a significant impact on the final BCVA. Baseline BCVA and the number of annual injections serve as predictors for final BCVA in RVO patients.

Objectives To evaluate visual outcomes after switching from Bevacizumab to Ranibizumab or Aflibercept in patients with macular edema (ME) secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). Methods A retrospective, multi-center, observational study of BRVO patients treated with at least three Bevacizumab injections, prior to anti VEGF switch. Follow up period was 36 months and the primary study outcomes assessed changes in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after anti VEGF switch. Results A total of 263 eyes of 263 patients with a mean age of 71.5 ± 11.2 years of which 50% were of male gender met the inclusion criteria. Of these 175 eyes did not underwent switch while 88 eyes underwent anti-VEGF switch. There was not significant difference in mean age (p = 0.634) and gender (p = 0.269) between groups. Baseline BCVA of the no-switch group was 0.47 ± 0.43 logMAR (20/59 Snellen) Vs. 0.6 ± 0.49 logMAR (20/79 Snellen) (p = 0.031) in the switch group and at 36-months it was 0.41 ± 0.39 (20/51 Snellen) logMAR Vs. 0.54 ± 0.49 logMAR (20/69 Snellen) (p = 0.035) respectively. Difference between the rate of change in BCVA per year was insignificant between groups (p = 0.414). in multivariate analysis baseline BCVA was the single significant predictor for switch (Beta 0.137, p = 0.035). Patients with more than one anti VEGF switch suffer from decrease in BCVA. Conclusions Worse BCVA is a significant predictor for anti-VEGF switch execution, though the switch has no significant impact on the change in BCVA over time. Multiple anti VEGF switch is not recommended.

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