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Biomedical subjects

M Bush

Publications and source records attributed to M Bush.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Lead poisoning in sandhill cranes.

Seven Florida sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis pratensis) and 6 greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) were exposed to lead-base paint containing 27% lead. One bird of each subspecies died enroute to the hospital, with a clinical history of anorexia, weakness, and open-mouth breathing of 36 hours' duration. There were no gross lesions, and microscopic lesions were limited to focal hepatic necrosis and hemosiderosis. Two of each subspecies of cranes developed clinical signs of lead poisoning, which included anorexia, weakness, green diarrhea, regurgitation, and open-mouth breathing. Diagnosis of lead poisoning was confirmed on the basis of blood lead concentrations ranging from 146 microgram/100 ml to 378 microgram/100 ml. These 4 cranes were treated successfully with calcium disodium edetate intramuscularly. Seven of the birds remained clinically normal despite high blood lead levels, especially in the greater sandhill cranes.

Animals↗

Hematologic effects of xylazine when used for restraint of Bactrian camels.

Xylazine was found to be a safe and reliable drug for chemical restraint of Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus). Dosages of 0.27 to 0.51 mg/kg of body weight provided adequate sedation for the performance of various procedures (e.g., tuberculin testing, lymph node biopsy, and electroejaculation). Hematologic and serum biochemical values for camels restrained manually were compared with those for camels restrained with xylazine. Xylazine-treated camels had significantly lower values for RBC, hemoglobin, and packed cell volume, and significantly higher blood glucose concentrations. Venous blood gas analyses did not reveal any major acid-base disturbances resulting from the use of xylazine. Rapid arousal from the sedative effects of xylazine occurred after the intravenous administration of doxapram hydrochloride in dosages of 0.05 to 0.13 mg/kg of body weight.

Animals↗

The relationship between impaired selective attention and severity of psychopathology in acute psychiatric patients.

Thirty acute psychiatric patients were administered a battery of selective attention and cognitive ability measures to determine whether there is a differential deficit in filtering capacity with increasing degrees of psychopathology. Susceptibility to intrusions in the early stages of auditory selective attention was positively related to degree of disturbance, but no more so than were other cognitive disabilities. Slowness of information processing, rather than impaired selective attention, bore the strongest relationship to severity of disturbance and appeared to be the best index of general cognitive inefficiency. It was concluded that the defective filter theories of schizophrenic deficit hold little promise for explaining how psychopathology affects cognitive functioning across a continuum of levels of disturbance.

Acute Disease↗

Cryptosporidium in snakes with hypertrophic gastritis.

Fourteen captive snakes of three genera and four species had severe chronic hypertrophic gastritis. Persistent postprandial regurgitation and firm midbody swelling were the most common clinical signs. Fecal smears had many roughly spherical organisms confirmed by ultrastructural study to be oocysts of Cryptosporidium. Pathologic changes included hypertrophy of gastric mucosa and atrophy of granular cells. There were cystic changes in gastric glands and focal mucosal necrosis. Many Cryptosporidium lined microvillar surfaces. All developmental forms were identified by ultrastructure. Characteristic oocysts were found in abundance.

Animals↗

Observations on immobilization of Père David's deer.

Etorphine and xylazine were found to be a safe and reliable drug combination for the immobilization of Père David's deer, whether excited or unexcited. Excited deer had a longer preimmobilization period, when compared with unexcited deer at comparable dosages. Generally, the acid-base status of Père David's deer during immobilization was not seriously altered. Deer that had been excited and exercised experienced mild respiratory problems; the unexcited, relatively calm deer experienced minimal acidosis. Significantly high pH and PO2 and significantly lower PCO2 and bicarbonate values were found in the excited deer, when compared with the unexcited deer. Rapid physiologic changes occurred after the intravenous administration of the antagonist, diprenorphine.

Animals↗

An epornitic of duck viral enteritis in a zoological park.

An epornitic of duck viral enteritis occurred at the National Zoological Park in the spring of 1975. The disease affected 8 different species of ducks; geese and swan were spared. Diagnosis was based on characteristic pathologic changes, with herpetic inclusion bodies in the epithelium of the digestive tract and liver, and by viral isolation from 4 ducks. An experimental attenuated live-virus vaccine and sanitizing procedures were used to control the epornitic.

Animals↗

Tuberculosis in captive exotic birds.

Avian tuberculosis was studied clinically and pathologically in 137 affected birds from the National Zoological Park during a 7-year period (1969-1975). Twelve of 22 orders exhibited were affected by the disease, and the highest annual mortality was 4% (in 1975). Antemortem diagnosis of early cases of the disease, based on tuberculin testing, and serologic, hematologic, and radiographic studies, was inconsistent and often not conclusive. Pathologically, the diseases primarily involved digestive organs and spleen. There was a spectrum of lesions consisting of nodules of large foamy histiocytes packed with acid-fast bacilli to giant cell-containing granulomas that were often caseous but not cavitated or calcified. Amyloidosis was seen in approximately 20% of the cases. Mycobacterium avium serotype 1 was isolated from 30 tuberculous birds cultured. There was no sex predilection, and most of the affected birds were adults ranging from 1 to 10 years of age.

Animals↗

Vaccine-induced canine distemper in a lesser panda.

A fatal disease occurred in a lesser panda (Ailurus fulgens) 2 weeks after vaccination with modified live distemper vaccine. The disease clinically resembled canine distemper. Pathologically there was giant cell pneumonia, with canine distemper viral inclusion bodies in pulmonary and digestive tract epithelium. Viral isolates were indicative of an attenuated strain rather than virulent types.

Animals↗

Surgical repair of tusk injury (pulpectomy) in an adult, male forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis).

A 15-year-old male forest elephant housed in a zoo sustained a fracture of the right tusk that was 10 cm inside the cheek pouch, thus exposing the tusk canal. Treatment of the cavity by packing, topical application of antibiotics, and administration of various antiseptic preparations failed; however, the tusk grew. To treat the infected, growing tusks's root canal or pulp, surgery--comparable to a pulpectomy in man--was performed with successful results.

Animals↗

Dermatophilosis in Australian bearded lizards.

Dermatophilosis (Dermatophilus congolensis) was diagnosed in 3 Australian bearded lizards. Each lizard died of causes associated with stress and poor adaptability, although the lesions appeared to be regressing at the time of death.

Actinomycetales↗

Nasal carcinoma in a captive Eld's deer.

A 7-year-old Eld's deer (Cervus eldii) developed a swelling rostromedial to the left eye in association with signs of weakness, blindness, and discomfort. By means of radiography and biopsy, the swelling was found to be a carcinoma of lining epithelium of the caudal nasal cavity and left frontal sinus. Within 2 weeks of initial observation, signs of neurologic involvement developed and the deer was euthanatized. Necropsy revealed metastasis to lungs, liver, kidneys, and abdominal lymph nodes.

Animals↗

Pathophysiology of chronic communicating hydrocephalus in dogs (Canis familiaris). Experimental studies.

A model designed to produce chronic communicating hydrocephalus in dogs has been developed in our laboratory. The animals tolerate the procedure well and the yield of animals with communicating hydrocephalus is high. Serial cisternograms show ventricular entry first with "clearing" and later with "stasis". CSF pressures are initially increased, but when the ventricles become enlarged the pressure falls into the normal range. Grossly there is generalized ventricular enlargement and, on histological studies, the ependyma is flattened and denuded. Periventricular edema occurs in the white matter. Autoradiographs show transependymal movement of protein. CSF production appears to be normal despite obstruction to flow of CSF to areas where resorption is greatest. Diversionary shunting probably produces relief of many of the neurological symptoms by providing an efficient pathway for the removal of CSF and thus by lessening edema and ventricular enlargement. A more appropriate treatment would appear to be a noninvasive method of decreasing CSF production. Only when the basic pathophysiological alterations of CSF production and absorption are understood will this be possible. We believe that this animal model affords us the opportunity of studying these mechanisms.

Animals↗