1
|
Hyndman TH, Bowden RS, Woodward AP, Pang DSJ, Hampton JO. Uncontrolled pain: a call for better study design. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1328098. [PMID: 38420206 PMCID: PMC10899387 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1328098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Studies assessing animal pain in veterinary research are often performed primarily for the benefit of animals. Frequently, the goal of these studies is to determine whether the analgesic effect of a novel treatment is clinically meaningful, and therefore has the capacity to improve the welfare of treated animals. To determine the treatment effect of a potential analgesic, control groups are necessary to allow comparison. There are negative control groups (where pain is unattenuated) and positive control groups (where pain is attenuated). Arising out of animal welfare concerns, there is growing reluctance to use negative control groups in pain studies. But for studies where pain is experimentally induced, the absence of a negative control group removes the opportunity to demonstrate that the study methods could differentiate a positive control intervention from doing nothing at all. For studies that are controlled by a single comparison group, the capacity to distinguish treatment effects from experimental noise is more difficult; especially considering that pain studies often involve small sample sizes, small and variable treatment effects, systematic error and use pain assessment measures that are unreliable. Due to these limitations, and with a focus on farm animals, we argue that many pain studies would be enhanced by the simultaneous inclusion of positive and negative control groups. This would help provide study-specific definitions of pain and pain attenuation, thereby permitting more reliable estimates of treatment effects. Adoption of our suggested refinements could improve animal welfare outcomes for millions of animals globally.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy H. Hyndman
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
- Harry Butler Research Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Ross S. Bowden
- School of Mathematics, Statistics, Chemistry and Physics, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | | | - Daniel S. J. Pang
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jordan O. Hampton
- Harry Butler Research Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
- Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hyndman TH, Fretwell S, Bowden RS, Coaicetto F, Irons PC, Aleri JW, Kordzakhia N, Page SW, Musk GC, Tuke SJ, Mosing M, Metcalfe SS. The effect of doxapram on survival and APGAR score in newborn puppies delivered by elective caesarean: A randomized controlled trial. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 2023; 46:353-364. [PMID: 37211671 DOI: 10.1111/jvp.13388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Doxapram is marketed as a respiratory stimulant and is used by some veterinarians to help with neonatal apnoea, especially in puppies delivered by caesarean. There is a lack of consensus as to whether the drug is effective and data on its safety are limited. Doxapram was compared to placebo (saline) in newborn puppies in a randomized, double-blinded clinical trial using two outcome measures: 7-day mortality rate and repeated APGAR score measurements. Higher APGAR scores have been positively correlated with survival and other health outcomes in newborns. Puppies were delivered by caesarean and a baseline APGAR score was measured. This was immediately followed by a randomly allocated intralingual injection of either doxapram or isotonic saline (of the same volume). Injection volumes were determined by the weight of the puppy and each injection was administered within a minute of birth. The mean dose of doxapram administered was 10.65 mg/kg. APGAR scores were measured again at 2, 5, 10 and 20 min. One hundred and seventy-one puppies from 45 elective caesareans were recruited into this study. Five out of 85 puppies died after receiving saline and 7 out of 86 died after receiving doxapram. Adjusting for the baseline APGAR score, the age of the mother and whether the puppy was a brachycephalic breed, there was insufficient evidence to conclude a difference in the odds of 7-day survival for puppies that received doxapram compared to those that received saline (p = .634). Adjusting for the baseline APGAR score, the weight of the mother, the litter size, the mother's parity number, the weight of the puppy and whether the puppy was a brachycephalic breed, there was insufficient evidence to conclude a difference in the probability of a puppy having an APGAR score of ten (the maximum APGAR score) between those that received doxapram compared to those that received saline (p = .631). Being a brachycephalic breed was not associated with an increased odds of 7-day mortality (p = .156) but the effect of the baseline APGAR score on the probability of having an APGAR score of ten was higher for brachycephalic than non-brachycephalic breeds (p = .01). There was insufficient evidence that intralingual doxapram provided an advantage (or disadvantage) compared to intralingual saline when used routinely in puppies delivered by elective caesarean and that were not apnoeic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy H Hyndman
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Shelby Fretwell
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
- Applecross Veterinary Hospital, Applecross, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ross S Bowden
- Mathematics and Statistics, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Flaminia Coaicetto
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Peter C Irons
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Joshua W Aleri
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nino Kordzakhia
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stephen W Page
- Advanced Veterinary Therapeutics, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gabrielle C Musk
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - S Jonathan Tuke
- Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Martina Mosing
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Steven S Metcalfe
- Applecross Veterinary Hospital, Applecross, Western Australia, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Riddell DL, Hyndman TH, Bowden RS, Musk GC. Use of a Low-calorie Flavored Gel to Facilitate Oral Self-administration of Analgesics in Mice. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci 2023; 62:163-169. [PMID: 36889695 PMCID: PMC10078929 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-jaalas-22-000039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
The goals of this study were to determine whether mice would adapt to a low-calorie flavored water gel as their sole source of hydration and whether the addition of acetaminophen, tramadol, meloxicam, or buprenorphine to the gel would affect their intake. Water and gel intakes were measured during a 4-phase study, each of which lasted 1 wk: phase 1, standard water bottle only; phase 2, standard water bottle and a separate tube containing water gel; phase 3, water gel only; and phase 4, water gel containing an analgesic drug. Water consumption, corrected for body mass, was not different between male and female mice when water was available (phases 1 and 2). However, the total consumption of water and water gel was higher for females than males during phase 2, and female mice consumed more gel than males during phase 3. When male and female data were combined, total corrected water intake was not different among the first 3 phases of the study. Gel intake did not change significantly after the addition of acetaminophen, meloxicam, buprenorphine or tramadol as compared with untreated water gel. These data suggest that drugs presented in the low-calorie flavored water gel may be a viable alternative to injection or gavage for the administration of analgesic drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dayna L Riddell
- Animal Care Services, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia;,
| | - Timothy H Hyndman
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ross S Bowden
- Department of Mathematics, Statistics, Chemistry, and Physics, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Gabrielle C Musk
- Animal Care Services, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bowden RS, Clarke BR. Using multivariate time series methods to estimate location and climate change effects on temperature readings employed in electricity demand simulation. AUST NZ J STAT 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/anzs.12222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ross S. Bowden
- Mathematics and Statistics; School of Engineering and Information Technology; Murdoch University; Murdoch WA 6150 Australia
| | - Brenton R. Clarke
- Mathematics and Statistics; School of Engineering and Information Technology; Murdoch University; Murdoch WA 6150 Australia
| |
Collapse
|