A number of routine painful procedures such as castration and tail-docking are currently performed in swine production without the benefit of anaesthesia or analgesia. In addition, parturition is generally considered painful. Providing analgesics at the time of castration and tail-docking lowered plasma cortisol levels of the piglets suggesting a reduction in pain associated with the procedures. The use of the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug meloxicam also resulted in less isolated behaviour of male piglets following castration. Providing meloxicam routinely following parturition did not result in reduced neonatal mortality or piglet growth, but lowered plasma cortisol suggesting a reduction in pain. Producers in the future may need to consider using pain control as part of their standard operating procedures in order improve piglet welfare and meet their consumers’ expectations, but are unlikely to see an economic return associated with improved productivity. / Please do not reject this before tomorrow afternoon. I am going to stop by the Office of Graduate Studies and hand in the necessary documents. / Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. and Ontario Pork

This thesis is an investigation of the impact of abdominal surgeries and assisted parturition in dairy cows on physiological and behavioural parameters, and the potential management of pain through the use of non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or a mechanical brush. This research is novel and necessary because of the paucity of pain research in dairy cows. Three abdominal surgery studies were conducted. The first was a randomized clinical field trial, conducted on commercial dairy herds in southern Ontario, Canada, to evaluate the effect of ketoprofen following correction of left displaced abomasum. The second and third studies were randomized clinical trials evaluating NSAIDs following the first stage of a two-stage fistulation surgery. The second tested ketoprofen versus saline, while the third compared ketoprofen and meloxicam. The key findings from these studies were that there were indicators of pain following surgery (such as decreased milk production, dry matter intake, and changes in lying behavior) and that there were beneficial effects of administering NSAIDs following abdominal surgery(improved eating and lying behavior), although these effects were not sufficient to alleviate all of the surgical pain. Two trials were conducted in parturient cows. The first trial examined the effects of meloxicam administration 24 h following assisted calving. There were beneficial effects of NSAID on feeding behavior, however, further research is needed to investigate the full potential of providing an NSAID as a post-calving pain therapy. The second trial described the use of a mechanical brush by parturient cows. This study yielded insight on the brush use of these cows, as well as on their maternal, auto-grooming, and scratching behaviors. Cows used the brush before parturition, and when the calf was present, auto-grooming and scratching behaviors were significantly reduced, and calf licking time was greater in the brush group compared to the no brush group. The findings described in this dissertation provide insights into the expression and assessment of pain and its management following abdominal surgery in dairy cattle. This study has also identified areas of future research for both assessment and management of pain following abdominal surgery and following assisted calving. / NSERC IPS II, Boehringer-Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd., OMAFRA, Merial Canada Inc.

Thesis (J.C.L.)--Catholic University of America, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-71).

Thesis (J.C.L.)--Catholic University of America, 1989. / This is an electronic reproduction of TREN, #029-0168. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-71).

No description available.

A Institucionalização da assistência ao parto colaborou muito para o avanço da obstetrícia. Foi possível acompanhar o desenvolvimento primeiro do parto e puerpério e depois do período gestacional, o que proporcionou aos profissionais detectar e tratar as complicações do período gravídico-puerperal, fazendo com que o principal objetivo da institucionalização da assistência ao parto fosse alcançado, a diminuição das taxas de mortalidade materna e neonatal. Mas com o avanço das práticas obstétricas, a maioria das gestações e partos, de baixo risco obstétrico, com evolução fisiológica, também foram encarados como de alto potencial para complicações. Isso fez com que procedimentos desnecessários e de rotina fossem introduzidos na assistência a gestação, parto e puerpério. O uso desenfreado desses procedimentos na assistência ao parto, no final do século passado, trouxe como consequência um aumento da morbimortalidade materna e perinatal, e a incorporação de intervenções danosas se tornou problemática. Objetivo: identificar a prevalência de intervenções obstétricas realizadas em mulheres durante o trabalho de parto e parto. Metodologia: trata-se de um estudo transversal descritivo, de caráter quantitativo, com coleta retrospectiva de dados em prontuário, sobre o emprego de intervenções obstétricas em parturientes atendidas no Centro de Referência da Saúde da Mulher - MATER, durante outubro, novembro e dezembro de 2009 e janeiro, fevereiro e março de 2010, totalizando 810 prontuários. Resultados: A maioria (83,6%) das mulheres apresentavam entre 18 e 34 anos de vida, realizaram pré-natal e estavam na primeira gestação. A amniotomia foi praticada em 41,7% das mulheres, sendo a maioria realizada (56,9%) na fase ativa do trabalho de parto; a infusão de ocitocina foi utilizada em 61,7% das parturientes e o início da infusão, em 63,4% das mulheres, aconteceu na fase ativa do trabalho de parto; 56,8% das mulheres receberam analgesia de parto, a maioria (75,4%) realizada na fase ativa do trabalho de parto e 77,6% das mulheres que receberam analgesia receberam apenas uma dose da medicação; a monitorização eletrônica fetal (cardiotocografia) foi realizada em 32,5% das mulheres, na maioria (65,4%) apenas uma vez; e a episiotomia esteve presente em 37,3% dos partos vaginais; a incidência de parto cesárea foi de 28,8% e de parto fórceps de 3,2%. Conclusão: considerando os resultados obtidos e a discussão realizada, podemos constatar que a maternidade em estudo possui índice da maioria das intervenções abaixo dos índices nacionais e, algumas vezes, índices próximos a de países desenvolvidos, porém a maioria das intervenções tem índices acima dos recomendados pela Organização Mundial da Saúde e pelo Ministério da Saúde brasileiro. Sendo assim, é necessária a revisão de alguns protocolos institucionais, assim como uma conscientização da equipe assistencial quanto aos riscos e benefícios reais das intervenções obstétricas empregadas durante o trabalho de parto e parto. / The institutionalization of delivery care contributed greatly to the advancement of obstetrics. It was possible to first follow the development of childbirth and later the period of pregnancy, which allowed professionals to detect and treat complications of the pregnancy and puerperal period, enabling the achievement of the main goal of institutionalization of labor care, to decrease maternal and neonatal mortality rates. The advancement of obstetrical practices, however, made most pregnancies and births with low obstetric risk, with physiological evolution, to be seen as with high potential risk for complications. This caused unnecessary and routine procedures to be introduced into pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care. The rampant use of these procedures in delivery care, at the end of last century, caused an increase in maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, and the practice of damaging interventions has become problematic. Objective: to identify the prevalence of obstetric interventions performed on women during labor and delivery. Methods: this is a cross-sectional, quantitative and descriptive study, with retrospective data collection in patient files, about the use of obstetric interventions in pregnant women who receive care at the Reference Center for Women\'s Health - MATER, from October 2009 to March 2010, totaling 810 patient files. Results: Most (83.6%) women were aged between 18 and 34 years, received prenatal care and were at their first pregnancy. Amniotomy was performed in 41.7% of women, most (56.9%) were held in the active phase of labor, oxytocin infusion was used in 61.7% of pregnant women and start of infusion for 63.4% of women occurred at the active phase of labor. Of the total, 56.8% received labor analgesia, most (75.4%) were performed at the active phase of labor and 77.6% of women who underwent analgesia received only one dose of medication. Electronic fetal monitoring (cardiotocography) was performed in 32.5% of women, in most (65.4%) only once, and episiotomy was present in 37.3% of the vaginal deliveries, the incidence of cesarean section was 28.8% and of forceps deliveries was 3.2%. Conclusion: considering the results obtained and discussions held, it was noted that the studied hospital has rates for most interventions lower than the Brazilian rates, and sometimes levels are close to the ones found in developed countries, however, most interventions have rates above those recommended by the World Health Organization and the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Thus, there is need to review some institutional protocols, as well as raising awareness of the health care team regarding the real risks and benefits of obstetric interventions used during labor and delivery.

No description available.

The present diploma thesis is focused on the evaluation of steroid metabolome in body fluids in human pregnancy and parturition and also concentrates on the estimation of steroids in men with epilepsy (MWE) regarding the influence of epilepsy and its treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The results obtained eventuate to the following conclusions: 1. They support the proposition about the key importance of corticoliberin for the timing of human parturition via stimulation of the steroidogenesis in the fetal zone of the fetal adrenal (FZ). Changes in steroid levels, however, much better predict the timing of parturition than the variation in corticoliberin. 2. The distribution of isoforms of placental oxidoreductases determines the excess of oxidized forms of the sex steroids and NAS in the fetus and the excess of their reduced forms in mother. This mechanism fundamentally affects the steroid bioactivity. The results indicate the role of NAS in pregnancy sustaining, their analgesic effect around parturition and their role in the pathophysiology of postpartum blues.

Tableau d’honneur de la Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales, 2014-2015 / Ce projet visait à mesurer la performance pour prédire le vêlage d’une diminution de température vaginale, du temps de rumination et du temps passé couché ainsi que d’une augmentation du nombre d’épisodes de coucher mesurées par trois technologies automatisées chez des vaches laitières Holstein multipares vêlant en stabulation entravée. La performance de différentes combinaisons de technologies permettant la considération simultanée de plusieurs indicateurs du vêlage a aussi été évaluée. Lorsqu’utilisée individuellement, la sonde vaginale permettant la mesure d’une diminution de température vaginale à l’approche du vêlage a obtenu les meilleures performances pour prédire le vêlage dans les 24, 12 et 6 prochaines heures. Pour sa part, la combinaison des différentes technologies a permis d’améliorer la performance de prédiction des vêlages comparativement à ce qui avait été mesuré avec les technologies utilisées individuellement. Les meilleures performances pour prédire le vêlage dans les prochaines 24, 12 et 6 heures ont été mesurées lorsque les trois technologies étaient combinées. Néanmoins, les résultats ont démontré que même lorsque combinées, les technologies utilisées dans cette expérience ne permettent pas de prédire précisément le moment du vêlage. En contrepartie, celles-ci, lorsque combinées, étaient en mesure de prédire précisément l’absence de vêlage.

These studies were conducted to define calf body shape, to test for relationships between calf shape and sire expected progeny differences for birth weight (BWTEPD) and first-calf calving ease (CEEPD) and to evaluate the efficacy of calf shape as a selection criterion for reduction of calving difficulty. Birth weight (BW), head circumference (HC), hip width (HW), shoulder width, body length (BL), cannon circumference (CC), cannon length (CL) and heart girth (HG) were measured at birth on 1,016 calves sired by Angus, Polled Hereford and Simmental bulls. In the Angus- and Polled Hereford-sired calves, sire effects were present for BW-adjusted residuals of CC. Additionally, HW, BL and HG residuals differed among half-sib groups for the Polled Hereford-sired calves. Thus, calf body measure differences independent of BW were in part attributable to sire. Multivariate factor analysis was used to identify underlying skeletal width and frame dimensions of calf shape in both breeds. After adjustment of body measures for differences in BW, a positive relationship of BWTEPD with HC and CC and a negative relationship between CEEPD and CC existed. Further adjustment for BWTEPD removed effects of CEEPD on CC. Thus, BWTEPD influenced calf shape independent of BW, but shape was not related to CEEPD independent of BWTEPD. Simmental bulls were divergently selected on CEEPD relative to BWTEPD so that body measures of calves from sires whose progeny tended to be born with more or with less dystocia than expected from BWTEPD could be obtained. Differences in CL and CC at constant BW were in part attributable to sire. Underlying shape factors were similar to those of the other breeds. Sire BWTEPD was positively related to CC and HC independent of BW. However, a relationship between body measures and CEEPD existed only at constant BW and BWTEPD. Calf shape independent of BW was also not different among calves born unassisted and assisted. Estimates of heritability, repeatability and birth to weaning relationships for each BW-residual body measure were generally not significant. Overall, sire BWTEPD was related to calf shape independent of BW. However, increases in skeletal dimensions were not related to either observed calving difficulty nor sire CEEPD independent of BW. Selection for reduced calving difficulty should not be based on calf body shape. / Ph. D.