Background: In recent years, attention has been turned to maternal mental health in relation to the mother-child relationship accompanying a widening in focus, i.e. taking into account not only the puerperium, but also the stage of pregnancy. This applies to studies that have revealed a connection between depression and maternal attachment in the postpartum period and late pregnancy. This study, however, was designed to evaluate the maternal-fetal relationship in the first and second trimesters, being the first one to address this issue in these early stages. Sampling and Methods: Zung’s Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS), the original Antenatal Maternal Attachment Scale (AMAS), and a questionnaire addressing peripheral factors were given to 216 pregnant women (3–6 months of gestation) who visited the Nagoya University Hospital between September 1998 and June 2001. Results: Contrary to reports on the latter stages of pregnancy, no direct association was observed between depression in mothers and maternal-fetal attachment before fetal movement was perceived. Conclusion: However, education, form of employment, planning of pregnancy, and premenstrual mood changes were found to be associated with the ZSDS score (mean: 41.9), while form of employment, feelings regarding pregnancy, and sources of support were extracted as factors associated with the AMAS, which are of interest in terms of the subsequent association between depression and maternal-fetal attachment in the peri- and postnatal periods.

No abstract

ObjectiveTo compare demographics and disease characteristics in dogs in which peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia (PPDH) had been diagnosed and report outcomes after surgical treatment (ST) or conservative treatment (CT).Study designRetrospective study.Sample populationOne hundred twenty‐eight dogs (91 ST, 37 CT) in which PPDH had been diagnosed.MethodsMedical records were reviewed for demographics, perioperative findings, and outcomes. Follow‐up was obtained via telephone interview and email correspondence with owners and referring veterinarians. Baseline variables were compared between treatment groups.ResultsDogs treated surgically were younger (P < .001), more likely to be sexually intact (P = .002), more likely to have clinical signs from PPDH vs an incidental diagnosis (P < .001), and more likely to have other congenital abnormalities (P = .003) compared with dogs treated conservatively. Ninety‐seven percent of ST dogs were discharged from hospitals. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were reported in 22% and 41% of dogs, respectively, although most complications were classified as low grade (75% and 83%, respectively). Follow‐up was available in 87 dogs, at a median of 1062 days. Hernia recurrence was not reported in any surgically treated dog. The deaths of nine dogs (five ST, four CT) could be attributed to PPDH, and long median survival times were observed in both the ST and CT groups (8.2 and 5 years, respectively).ConclusionPreoperative characteristics differed between dogs treated conservatively vs surgically. Surgical treatment was associated with low operative mortality, and both ST and CT dogs had good long‐term survival.Clinical significanceA diagnosis of PPDH can confer a good long‐term prognosis for both ST and CT dogs.

In our population of veterinary students ES/CH hand rubs or CH scrubs were more effective in reducing bacterial CFU during surgical hand preparation than MPS or IPS.

OBJECTIVE To determine long-term outcomes and factors associated with those outcomes in dogs with gastroesophageal intussusception (GEI). ANIMALS 36 dogs with GEI evaluated at 16 veterinary hospitals from January 2000 through January 2018. PROCEDURES Medical records of included dogs were reviewed to collect information regarding signalment, clinical signs, physical examination findings, blood work and diagnostic imaging results, surgical findings, and outcome. Factors were evaluated for associations with various outcomes. RESULTS Median age of dogs with GEI was 13.2 months, and males (72% [26/36]) and German Shepherd Dogs (33% [12/36]) were most common. Vomiting (67% [24/36]) and regurgitation (33% [12/36]) were the most common clinical signs. Ten of 36 (28%) dogs were euthanized without treatment, and 26 (72%) underwent treatment (25 surgically and 1 endoscopically). Twenty-three of the 26 (88%) treated dogs survived to discharge; median survival time was 995 days. At last follow-up, 15 of the 23 (65%) surviving dogs remained alive and 8 (35%) had died for reasons related to persistent regurgitation (n = 6) or reasons unrelated to GEI (2). Of the 10 dogs for which owners were contacted, 7 had persistent regurgitation, the severity of which was reduced through managed feedings. Dogs with acute (≤ 7 days) clinical signs or a previous diagnosis of megaesophagus were more likely to have persistent regurgitation than were dogs without these factors. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Treatment should be considered for dogs with GEI given the high rate of survival to discharge and median survival time. Although persistent regurgitation was common after treatment, a satisfactory outcome was possible with medical management, including managed feedings and medications.

Background Fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) is a common procedure as a diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine. However, it is unclear whether the gauge of the needle affects the quality of cytology. Objective This study compared the quality of cytologic samples obtained via FNA using 22‐ or 25‐gauge needles. Methods Fine‐needle aspiration was performed on 50 masses (cutaneous, subcutaneous, or intracavitary) obtained from client‐owned animals. The size of the needle was randomly assigned using either of the following two sequences: 22‐25‐22 gauge or 25‐22‐25 gauge. Samples were evaluated by two board‐certified clinical pathologists to assess cellularity, blood contamination, amount of cellular debris, degree of cellular trauma, and the overall ability to make a diagnosis for each sample. Results No significant difference was detected between the 22‐ and 25‐gauge needle samples for cellularity, whereas a significant difference was present for blood contamination, amount of cellular debris, and degree of cellular trauma. The overall ability to make a diagnosis was not significantly affected by the needle gauge. The degree of cellular trauma was significantly increased in intracavitary samples. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance Needle gauge is a contributing factor to FNA sample quality. However, it did not affect the overall ability to make a diagnosis. Samples obtained using 25‐gauge needles resulted in less blood contamination yet increased cellular trauma compared to 22‐gauge needle samples.

ObjectiveTo describe perioperative characteristics and outcomes of dogs surgically treated for intestinal intussusception.Study designMulti‐institutional, retrospective study.AnimalsOne hundred fifty‐three client‐owned dogs with intestinal intussusception.MethodsDogs were included when they had undergone surgical treatment of a confirmed intestinal intussusception. Medical records were reviewed for demographics and clinical data, including surgical complications (graded 1‐4). Follow‐up was obtained via telephone interview with owners and referring veterinarians.ResultsDogs had a median age of 10 months (range, 2‐156), and the most common location for intussusception was ileocolic (66/153 [43%]). Most cases had no identifiable cause (104/155 [67%]). Intestinal resection and anastomosis (IRA) was performed in 129 of 153 (84%) dogs; enteroplication was performed in 28 of 153 (18%) dogs, including 13 with and 15 without IRA. Intraoperative complications occurred in 10 of 153 (7%) dogs, all involving intestinal damage during attempted manual reduction. The median duration of follow‐up after discharge was 334 days (interquartile range, 15‐990; range, 1‐3302). Postoperative complications occurred in 53 of 153 (35%) dogs, including 22 of 153 (14%) with severe (grade 3 or 4) events. Diarrhea, regurgitation, and septic peritonitis were the most common postoperative complications; intussusception recurred in four of 153 (3%) dogs, all within 72 hours postoperatively. Fourteen‐day postoperative mortality rate was 6%.ConclusionSurgical treatment of intestinal intussusception was curative in most dogs, even when an underlying cause was not identified. Surgical complications were common, including a 14% risk of life‐threatening short‐term complications.Clinical significanceSurgical treatment of intestinal intussusception offers an excellent prognosis, but the potential life‐threatening complications should be considered.

OBJECTIVE To determine the outcome in dogs diagnosed with congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts (EHPSS) at ≥ 5 years of age treated with medical management only (M) or with surgical attenuation (S). The hypothesis was that dogs undergoing surgical attenuation would have a longer survival time than dogs undergoing medical management only. ANIMALS 351 dogs definitively diagnosed with EHPSS at ≥ 5 years of age. PROCEDURES Medical records from 2009 to 2019 at 16 veterinary teaching hospitals were evaluated. Data collected included signalment, clinical signs at diagnosis, clinicopathologic data, surgical and medical treatments, shunt morphology, clinical signs and medical treatments at 6 to 12 months after diagnosis, and survival time. RESULTS 351 dogs (M, 119 [33.9%]; S, 232 [66.1%]) were included in the study. Survival time was longer with surgery than medical management (hazard ratio, 4.2; M, 3.4 years; S, 10.9 years). Continued clinical signs at 6 to 12 months after diagnosis were more common with medical management (M, 40% [33/88]; S, 14% [21/155]). Continued medical treatments at 6 to 12 months after diagnosis were more common in the medical management group (M, 78% [69/88]; S, 34% [53/155]). Perioperative mortality rate was 7.3%. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Dogs diagnosed at ≥ 5 years of age with EHPSS have significantly better survival times and fewer clinical signs with surgical attenuation, compared with medical management. Older dogs have similar surgical mortality rates to dogs of all ages after surgical EHPSS attenuation.