NURSERY SHIFT PROTOCOLS

The following summary outlines the general routines and protocols to be followed by all nursery technicians at the IPRL.

Shift-Dependent Responsibilities
The IPRL is staffed around the clock. The day shift is 7 a.m.—3 p.m., the evening shift is 3-11 p.m., and the night shift is 11 p.m.—7 a.m. All personnel share the same duties, with the following differences:

Day Shift Weigh all animals. Record weights on intake sheets (Appendix, form 45) and on daily weight sheets (Appendix, form 47); for animals that have been weaned, use weekly weight sheets (Appendix, form 48). When weighing, do animals in the nursery first, then those in the main room: animals with asterisks (*) must be weighed last to avoid spreading Cryptosporidia. Wipe weighing pan with Roccal and change gloves between each animal. After all weights are done, put weighing pans in cagewasher and wash. Change lab coat. Make any housing/feeding changes listed for the day on the master calendar.
Evening Shift Do the daily intake totals for all animals by the end of shift. Make sure lights go out in the appropriate rooms and that you can see the pregnant females on camera.
Night Shift Change diurnal sheets at the beginning of your shift; also check maternal status sheets if necessary. Fill in the new day's dates and feeding codes on the intake sheets. Catch up on any undone laundry.

Start of Shift

  1. Read notes left from previous shift. There is a special form that alerts you to sick animals, animals that may require a change in protocol, and pregnant dams that are close to delivering. Also, it is helpful to make a list of animals that are to be bottle fed, 4-on/4-on, held up to feeder, or given apple juice (AJ) and water. (The intake sheets are generally arranged as follows: nursery, 4-on/4-on, 4-on/4-off in cage order, and AJ/water.) Making a list of animals has three advantages; it results in 1) general familiarization with the number of animals and feedings, 2) less likelihood of missing a feeding or measurement, and 3) less chance of spilling fluids or otherwise contaminating the intake sheets.
  2. Check the master feeding/housing calendar for any changes to be made in feeding or housing protocol. Such changes are usually implemented by the day shift (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) but everyone should check it. For further details on feeding/housing protocol, see the section on feeding and housing schedules (pp. 63-67).
  3. Walk through the lab and look at each animal. Notify the veterinary technician if any animal looks droopy or lethargic, or is injured. Repeat the check at midshift. Remember to check Maternal and Nursery Status and fill in the appropriate forms (Appendix, forms 2 and 12).
  4. Note which dams are especially close to their delivery dates, and also who is on call for deliveries each day. Make sure you know how to operate the videotape recorder. Make sure no one has disconnected the equipment and that everything is working before you have to scramble for a delivery!

 

Main Feedings
The standard feeding apparatus is illustrated below.

This reservoir is designed to reduce drippage and allow us to measure formula intake with increased accuracy. When infants stop sucking, formula in the tube flow back into the reservoir, rather than dripping, as occurs when an inverted bottle is used for feeding. Nipples are used until day 56. Then the tube is replaced with stainless-steel tubing covered with latex tubing, because the infants are strong enough by then to pull nipples from the restraining ring. While in the nursery, the infants are taught to self-feed with the aid of a training surrogate, which provides ventral support and a clasping surface. During the period the feeding system employs an elongated tube that reaches through the training surrogate. For older animals, the system employs a shorter tube that reaches through the side of the cage.

Feeding protocol is as follows:

  1. First, while you are very clean, remove the feeder bottles in the nursery. Measure and record the intakes and thoroughly wash each bottle, cork and nipple. Replace the bottles. Follow the respective protocols (day 4-9 or 9-12 routines). Make sure each cork from the nursery feeders has an air tube as well as a nipple, as infants do not have enough suction to obtain formula without the air tube.
  2. Fill feeder bottles from dishwasher and replace. Note the 4-on/4-on animals and remove their bottles after you have fed the others to avoid any cross-contamination. Wash and replace these bottles as soon as possible. Make certain feeders are returned to correct cages!
  3. Never pour anything, even measuring overages, back into the SMA pitchers. Never put back on the shelf any graduated cylinder that has not been scrubbed with brush, soap, and hot water. (Rinsing with plain water or swishing in soapy water without a brush does not dislodge the greasy SMA or sticky apple juice coatings and their associated germs.) If you have measured or handled contaminated bottles, never fill clean ones until you wash have washed your hands. Never enter the kitchen area with a dirty lab coat, and do not use the kitchen sink to wash your hands after handling cages or animals (use the washroom).
  4. Bottle- and/or gavage-fed nursery animals should be fed as close to the designated times (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 o'clock a.m. and p.m.) as possible, and have the highest priority in feeding scheduling. Change gloves after handling each infant.

Midshift Feedings

  1. Remove and measure all feeders.
  2. Wash and replace 4-on/4-on bottles as outlined above.
  3. Remove all apple juice and water bottles, measure intake, and wash thoroughly with Septisol and water, using a brush to remove deposits. Flush the tubes thoroughly with water and clean the stoppers. Replace. Always change these bottles at midshift.
  4. When loading dishwasher, load corks so water drains out of tubes (not sideways). Load bottles upside down. Remove all nipples to the basket. Load blender container sideways on the bottom rack, as loading it on end will prevent the upper arm from rotating. Remove blender gasket from cover before washing. Don't cram the water port onto the water faucet: lubricate the gasket with a little water. As good as the dishwasher is, it isn't an autoclave, so do not wash personal food dishes in the dishwasher.
  5. Sometime during the shift, all hand-held plastic bottles and nipples must be sterilized and refilled. Empty and wash all bottles, place in a pan of water, and heat to boiling on the hotplate. Refill with formula or Polycose.

New Formula
Approximately 1 hour before the end of the shift, prepare a fresh batch of SMA. Don't leave the blender on the motor, as any leaks or spills will gum it up. Leave the lid on, to prevent dust contamination. Formula made up later won't have time to foam down; formula made up earlier should be refrigerated. Sanitary technique is a must!

To mix formula, add 3 ladles of SMA powder, packed and leveled, to 105 ounces of water; blend at low speed for 30 sec.

If the bottle of Polycose (a dextrose/maltose solution) runs low, make a fresh batch. The formula is 5 tablespoons of Polycose to 280 ml of boiling water. The water needs to be boiling to fully dissolve the powder and to ensure sterility. To maintain accuracy, measure the water after it reaches the boiling point.

Putting Holes in Nipples
Materials:

  1. Bunsen burner
  2. Striker (with bunsen burner).
  3. New, clean nipples
  4. Pliers or hemostat
  5. 26-, 23-, or 22-gauge needles

Procedure:

  1. Attach burner to gas outlet.
  2. Make sure nothing flammable is above or near burner.
  3. Turn gas on, and ignite burner with striker.
  4. Grasp a 26-gauge needle with pliers and heat in flame until it glows.
  5. Quickly (but carefully) pierce the end of a nipple with the hot needle.
  6. The hotter the needle and the longer it is held in the nipple, the larger the hole will be. Also, 23- and 22-gauge needles make bigger holes.
  7. Check each nipple to see that the hole is open—discard any nipples if you can't see light through the hole.
  8. When done, turn off gas and wait for burner to cool before returning it to the cabinet.

NOTE:

Diurnal Measurements

  1. Diurnal measurements are to be done as close to 4, 8, and 12 a.m. and p.m. as possible, with nursery feedings still taking precedence. Always do sick animals and those in isolettes.
  2. Check the electronic thermometer for calibration by inserting the preset resistor plugs into the thermometer. If the temperature readings don't match the labels on the plugs, adjust as outlined on p. 83.
  3. Each animal should have diurnal measurements taken in this order: respiration, heart rate, and rectal temperature. That way, the animal will be least disturbed during the most variable measurement. (To minimize stress, do not handle animals before the respiration count.) Also, try to take measurements in as short a time as possible so that they will be correlated with each other. Take all three measurements on one animal, then move on to the next animal. Record data on infant diurnal data sheet (Appendix, form 12).
  4. Change gloves and wipe the stethoscope with an alcohol pad between each animal. Also, make sure your pen or pencil is kept clean—these are all disease vectors. Wipe temperature probes with alcohol both before and after each measurement, and wipe down the thermometer box and the counter with Roccal when you are finished.
  5. After recording the animals' diurnal measurements, tend to their sanitation needs. Keep their bedding as clean as possible; change diapers, mattress pads, and heating pad covers frequently, at least every time you do diurnal measurements. Clean dirty animals with a 4x4 cloth and warm water, then put Desitin on any raw bottoms.
  6. Check the water level in all incubators at each diurnal time; refill with distilled water. Never let incubators run dry.

Births

  1. Deliveries usually occur at night, but can occur at any time of day. Throughout the evening and night shifts, keep a close watch on the pregnant dams. Any dam that is close to delivery should be monitored continuously; i.e., keep the camera trained on her in between status checks. Clipboards have information on the status of each pregnancy. Read the "notes on pregnant females" on the clipboard for updates on their cervical status and activity levels. Any female with a note of restlessness, dilated cervix, and/or vaginal exploration in the past few days should be watched closely and should be videotaped at slow speed on a 9-hr or 12-hr cassette (see pp. 7 and 8). When you start the videotape, note the date and time on the top portion of the labor and delivery check sheet (Appendix, form 3).
  2. Behavioral indications of labor include any of the following:
  3. Whenever you see these behaviors, change the 9-hr tape to 1-hr (or for cassette, change 12-hr to 2-hr) and call the appropriate delivery team.
  4. The delivery team is listed on the calendar labeled "Delivery Team On-Call." Persons listed there are on call beginning at 5 p.m. for that date until 8 a.m. the following morning. Call the person whose initials are on the calendar for that night. Try the home phone first—if no response, then try the bellboy number next to his/her name on the chalkboard. If you can't reach that person, call someone else on the delivery team list.
  5. It is your job to keep the videotape recordings going until the delivery personnel arrive. When they arrive, tell them which animal is in labor and advise them where you are with the videotapes so they can continue to record the animal.
  6. The delivery team will intervene after the infant is delivered, and will bring the infant to the lab in an incubator. You should help them bring the incubator into the nursery, plug it in, check the water reservoir, and so on. Start the infant on 10% Polycose hand fed by bottle at the next scheduled feeding time. If the infant is lethargic, limp, on oxygen, or injured, start it on gavage feedings with 10% Polycose. Feed every 2 hours. With feeding number 6, change the formula to 50% Polycose, 50% SMA as per feeding protocol.
  7. Take the infant's rectal temperature every 60 min until it reaches 98.5°F. This may take only an hour or up to several hours. The incubator should be set at 93°-94°F initially; refer to housing protocol.
  8. Write down the schedule for lowering the incubator temperature for the new infant on the kitchen calendar, and follow it!

Feeding and Housing Schedules

  1. If an animal falls off schedule for any reason (sick, not doing well, you forgot, etc.), write it down on (1) the intake sheet (Appendix, form 45) under "comments" and (2) the Weekend Notes sheet if you are working a weekend shift. Include the name of the person who authorized the change. If the animal falls behind on a housing change in the nursery, write it down on the diurnal sheet as well. Remember, all data taken at this lab are analyzed and it is important to have written comments where the normal routine is not followed.
  2. If an animal is born, or arrives from elsewhere, or if an animal is shipped out or dies, write it down on the arrival/departure board. Also, if you receive notification of an impending arrival, write it down. Use dry markers —do not use indelible markers!

Laundry
Keep up with the laundry by pacing loads throughout the shift. Diaper folding can be left until you get time later in the shift. Lab coats and incubator covers should be separated from diapers and heating pad covers. Lab coats should be folded by size and put in the back cabinet. Incubator covers should be put in the cabinet under the incubator.

When loading the washer, do not put soap or bleach in either the center spindle or the side dispenser—these are for liquids only! Also, wipe up spilled powders from the machine top so they will not eat through the enamel finish. Washer settings are marked in red: hot water, full regular cycle, and ex hi water level.

Dryer settings are also marked in red: automatic dry and cotton-sturdy setting. Clean out the lint filter on top after each load.

Sanitation
The general theme for the lab is: keep it clean! It cannot be emphasized enough that sloppy technique in the handling of food, instruments, clothing or animals significantly increases the risk of contamination and disease to both human and nonhuman primates. Seemingly innocent objects such as pencils, data sheets, and doorknobs are potential disease vectors if they have been handled by someone who has touched a cage or animal. Additionally, there is a certain amount of dust raised from the Pelecel pellets used as cage pan litter, especially during daily pan changing. This contaminated microdust settles everywhere, so that every surface in the lab is suspect—in other words, don't take any chances when handling foods in the lab. In addition to the guidelines stated above, the following protocol should be observed:

  1. Wear lab coat and foot covers at all times.
  2. Wear gloves when handling animals or cages, and change gloves between each animal.
  3. Wipe down counters in both kitchen and nursery with Roccal after each use and before the end of your shift. Also, since you don't know which researchers or testers may have used the kitchen, wipe the counter down before doing the feedings.
  4. Each shift, wipe down with Roccal or wash the following:
  5. Wash your pencil/pens after feeding the animals, after weighing them, and after recording diurnal measurements. Be careful not to get formula or fecal contamination on data sheets.
  6. Never bring an animal into the kitchen. Never enter the kitchen with a dirty lab coat (i.e., one that has fecal contamination). If you have handled animals or cages, wash your hands in the washroom, not in the kitchen.
  7. Do not eat, drink, or smoke in the animal rooms.

Lab Security
No family or friends are allowed into the lab or the vivarium, both for their health and for the health of the colony animals. If you do not recognize someone who comes into the lab, find out who it is. He/she should be able to identify him/herself as lab personnel, authorized researcher, or student tester, and should be listed on one of our phone lists or in the Primate Center Directory. Physical Plant employees doing repair or construction are also allowed. Do not admit anyone else unless he/she can show you Primate Center authorization or is vouched for by another researcher or staff person. All visitors must have a current negative TB test or else wear a mask.

[Table of Contents]

PROTOCOLS FOR DATA COLLECTION AND RECORD KEEPING

Intake Records
The daily intake/weight record sheet (Appendix, form 45) is the primary data collection sheet for monitoring the status and development of infant primates at the IPRL. These data are used not only for the day-to-day maintenance of laboratory animals, but also for statistical analyses and scientific studies. They must therefore be collected and recorded as accurately and neatly as possible so that the data entry personnel can enter them on the computer. Record tallies and weight transfers must be done daily; otherwise animal maintenance is impaired and it becomes increasingly difficult to track down and cross-reference data once they are dispersed to the various data-management personnel.

New daily weight sheets are made out starting on Saturdays, and are the responsibility of the Saturday daytime nursery tech. It is helpful to put the last week's new additions in sorted order with the rest, if they are out of place. Asterisks (*) denote animals with Cryptosporidia; these animals should be weighed last.

Shift Responsibilities—Intakes
Intake totals are the responsibility of the evening nursery tech and must be recorded before the end of the shift. Totals must be recorded correctly because there is no automatic way to check for sum errors (only the totals are entered on the computer). As these totals are used to calculate caloric intake, mixing, feeding, measuring and recording of data must be accurate. Use a calculator if necessary.

Each code is a separate category on a separate line with its own total. Codes are listed on p. 63. Care must be taken to line up the correct totals with their corresponding codes, otherwise the data entry personnel may get confused and enter the wrong information. A typical daily entry with multiple codes is shown in the following example:

Weight

How

What

12

2

4

6

8

10

12

2

4

6

8

10

Total

525

20

11

30
  

20
  

-10
          

20
  

-70
 

30

11
            

20
          

20
 

11

11
                

5
      

5

Note that code combinations are totaled separately, and it will help the data entry personnel if you line up your entries neatly.

A word about negative entries. A minus (-) indicates that an entry is probably incorrect because the animal vomited, or the feeder was spilled, etc. If the intake is totally unknown, enter a -1 for the entry. When doing a total, add up all entries that are not preceded by a minus, and enter the result as a minus total. For example, for the 20/11 code, 30 + 20 + 20 = 70, but it is entered as -70 because of the -10 at the 8 a.m. feeding. This indicates that the animal had at least 70 ml, but perhaps more. If all entries for a category are missing or wrong, enter a -1 for the total.

For gavage feedings, don't total the residuals. If a total for some category is fractional, e.g., 93.5, round it off, e.g., 94.

Shift Responsibilities--Codes
The responsibility for changing codes falls into different areas. The midnight nursery tech is responsible for filling out the new day's dates and codes. Dates should not be filled in more than one day at a time, as more space may be needed for entries on a particular day. Codes transferred to the next day are usually the most recent code used (but not necessarily on the last line!). When filling out a new intake sheet, make certain that the animal number, eartag, and codes are correct and legible. Experience has shown that many mistakes in transcribing records occur at this point.

Codes for scheduled feeding changes should be changed and verified by the daytime nursery tech. (See the feeding protocol for more information.)

MED CODES: Med Codes (p. 63) should be entered by the veterinary tech on the weekends, or by the evening nursery tech on weekdays. If an animal is given IV or subcutaneous fluids, or is put on oxygen, make sure that it is recorded on the intake records.

Further Examples of Feeding Protocols
Since the feeding protocol is complicated, some additional examples of feeding and coding are provided below. Intake is measured in milliliters (ml). A slash (/) means none and tr stands for trace.

Sample Intake Entry: Day 1

Weight

How

What

12

2

4

6

8

10

12

2

4

6

8

10

Total

305

50

2
  

7

4

6

7

6
            

30

residuals
  

/

3

1

/

1

tr

.5

2

3

1

/

—

50

3
            

8

9.5

8

7

9

10

52

In this example, an animal is born with a low birth weight around midnight and must be fed by gavage. The first 5 feedings consist of 100% Polycose, limited to 7 ml in this case. Residuals are measured before feeding and the amount fed is adjusted accordingly. For example, at the 4 a.m. feeding, a limit of 7 minus 3 residuals equals 4 ml fed. The sixth feeding begins the 50/50 Polycose/SMA mixture. Note that the residuals are not totaled, and the total of 51.5 is rounded to 52.

Sample Intake Entry: Day 4

Weight

How

What

12

2

4

6

8

10

12

2

4

6

8

10

480

20

3

10

8

-1

8
                

-26
 

30

11
            

15
          

15
 

11

11
                

2
      

2

On day 4 the animal begins the "day 4-9 routine." The first four feedings are 2-hr bottle feedings of 50/50 Polycose/SMA as has been done for days 1-3. The 8 a.m. feeding is full-strength SMA by bottle. At noon, the animal is held up to a feeder. The amount taken is then measured and the formula is returned to the feeder. This amount is the "held-up" amount, and is coded as 30 (how) - 11 (what). The feeder is measured again at 4 p.m. In this case 17 ml are gone: the 15 ml from the noon measurement, and 2 ml more which are recorded under the "self-feeding" code, 11-11. If the animal has taken less than 10-12 ml on its own, it is bottle-fed at 4 p.m. Subsequent feedings at 8 p.m., 12 a.m., 2 a.m., 4 a.m., and 8 a.m. are bottle feedings of SMA. The noon and 4 p.m. routines are followed until day 9. (Note the 4 a.m. feeding was spilled or is unknown and gets a -1 code, which makes a "negative" total.)

Sample Intake Entry: Day 9

Weight

How

What

12

2

4

6

8

10

12

2

4

6

8

10

Total

440

20

11

22
  

18
                  

40
 

30

11
            

15
  

8
  

0
  

23
 

11

11
                

5
  

24
  

29

On day 9 the animal begins the "9-12 routine." The midnight and 4 a.m. feedings are bottle feedings as before and the "4-9 routine" is also done at noon and 4 p.m. as before, but now this sequence of holding up, measuring, replacing, and measuring the self-feeding amount is repeated every 4 hr until the animal is truly self-feeding and doesn't need to be held up anymore. This occurs, on the average, by day 12.

Sample Intake Entry: Housing Change (also Subcutaneous Fluids)

Weight

How

What

12

2

4

6

8

10

12

2

4

6

8

10

Total

495

12

11

24
  

30
  

26
              

80
 

15

11
            

15
  

20
  

22
  

57
 

40

7
        

10
      

10
      

20

At some point in the nursery, usually at day 12, the surrogate is taken away and the self-feeding code is changed from 11-11 to 12-11 (self-feeding, no surrogate). When the animal is moved into the main room after the 8 a.m. feeding, the animal is fed by the same feeder but the code is changed to 15-11 to indicate the housing change. In this example, the animal has been also given some subcutaneous fluids to counteract dehydration—this is both a "feeding" code (40-7) and a med code (3, not shown) and should be entered by the veterinary or nursery tech who administered it.

Sample Intake Entry: Weaning to Apple Juice

Weight

How

What

12

2

4

6

8

10

12

2

4

6

8

10

Total

/

15

22
    

210
      

168
          

378
 

15

13
                    

265
  

265
                               

Subsequent changes from SMA to 60% SMA, from 60% SMA to 40% SMA, from 40% SMA to 40% apple juice (as shown above), from 40% to 20% juice, and from 20% juice to straight water are all done at the noon feeding, and the codes should reflect the change as above. (Note the slash in the weight box, which indicates that the animal was not weighed, as opposed to forgetting to transfer the weight.)

Example of an Animal Worksheet
As indicated in the Nursery Shift Protocols, you should make a list of all the animals in the intake record clipboard at the beginning of your shift to help you to organize your duties and make certain that no animals are missed either in their feeding or in recording their measurements. How you compose this list or what you write it on is up to you—there are no forms. The following example has been used by several people with good results.

First, make a list of eartags (double column in this case) in clipboard order. Draw a heavy line separating nursery animals and apple juice/water animals from the others. For animals on 4-hr feedings or 2-hr feedings, partition boxes into 2 or 4 spaces, respectively, one for each feeding. Slashes in the 2-hr box indicate fed/residuals for gavage-fed animals, and in the 4-hr boxes the self/held-up amounts for 4-9 and 9-12 routines. Any feeding changes from the master calendar can be indicated as you wish. Whatever system you use, it will help keep spillage off of the intake sheets, and help prevent the missing of feedings or other oversights.

[Table of Contents]

SPECIAL PROCEDURES IN THE NURSERY

Low-Birth-Weight Infants
A low-birth-weight (LBW) infant is defined as an infant whose weight at birth falls in the lowest 10 percentiles for animals of that species: <375 g for pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) and <275 g for longtailed macaques (M. fascicularis). These animals should be fed only by gavage for at least 24 hours after birth. The veterinary staff will reevaluate them the following day to determine whether the feeding should be changed.

Hypothermia
A hypothermic animal is one whose body temperature is <97°F. Such an animal should be fed only by gavage until its temperature is normal (98-101°F) or until it is reevaluated by the veterinary staff.

Occasionally an animal will experience a single episode of hypothermia. If a scheduled feeding or housing change is delayed because of this, make that change at the next diurnal time if the temperature has returned to normal.

Aspiration
Aspiration is the inhalation or introduction of fluids (such as mucus, formula, or vomit) into the lungs. Signs of aspiration are:

What to do:

  1. Clear the airway—use the blue rubber bulb syringe to remove mucus. This often eliminates raspy breathing.
  2. Place animal in an incubator.
  3. Administer oxygen—always run it through the humidifier first.
  4. Take respiration, heart rate, and temperature measurements.
  5. Listen with a stethoscope for fluid in the bronchial passages. NOTE: you may not always be able to hear it.
  6. Call for help, or at least notify someone of the problem.

Drugs: A veterinary staff person will prescribe drug treatment and provide instructions.

Gavage Feeding
The only way to learn gavage feeding is to study the following guidelines and watch it being done.

  1. The proper length of tubing to be inserted is the nose-to-ear length plus the ear-to-sternum length (line ABC in Fig. 1). Obviously, this length is not the same for each animal, and it changes with age. Therefore, do not use the black mark pre-stamped on the tubing as a reference; measure the correct distance each time.
    Figure 1
     
  2. The feeding tubes come in 3 sizes: 3-1/2 french (the smallest), used on newborns; 5 french, used on animals older than 1 month; and 8 french, used only on large animals (>1500 grams).
  3. The feeding tubes are designed with two opposing holes in the side of the tubing wall near the tip (Fig. 2) to minimize sucking in the stomach tissue. However, it is still possible to plug both holes against the stomach wall by inserting too much tubing (Fig. 3). This can cause stomach lesions if too much suction is used during drawback, and can mislead one into assuming that there is no residual gastric content when there really is. Insert the tube the proper amount plus a little more; then, while drawing back on the syringe, ease the tube back out a few millimeters. This should clear any obstruction and allow any residual content to be withdrawn. Replace any residual contents (because they contain the digestive juices) and feed.
       

     Figure 2

     Figure 3

  4. Lack of resistance to suction means the tube is not in the stomach—try again.
  5. Lack of residual content may mean: (1) the tube openings are against the stomach wall; or (2) the tube is in the lung.
  6. If there is any doubt whether the tube is in the stomach, inject a small amount of normal saline (sodium chloride solution in the vial on the med shelf) into the tube before feeding. If the monkey coughs, the tube is in the lung. If it gags, the tube is in the throat.
  7. Check the feeding sheet for residual amounts during the last shift before you feed. This will give you an idea of how the animal is doing and what you might expect.
  8. If an animal is on gavage feeding, don't attempt to bottle feed until the veterinary technologist authorizes it. If an animal is on gavage Friday, keep it on gavage through the weekend.
  9. If an animal on bottle feeding vomits, chances are it has aspirated as well. Keep a close watch, and gavage feed on clear fluids (Polycose) until the infant is re-evaluated by the veterinary staff.

Intravenous Support
When an animal is on intravenous (IV) support, it needs careful attention. IV support may be initiated by a member of the veterinary staff or by a researcher. IV lines are usually inserted into the leg. There are two basic types of IV support: gravity-drip and pump-driven. The pump-driven setup usually contains instructions about the pump rate, which should not have to be changed. Instructions for gravity-drip IVs are as follows:

  1. Check to make sure the IV fluid is actually dripping.
  2. Check to make sure the IV fluid is not running too fast. It should not be running over 3 ml/hr, or one drop every 14-15 sec (1 ml = 60 drops).
  3. Check the IV line every 30 min and record the drip rate on the green diurnal sheet.
  4. If the IV fluid is running too fast or too slow, adjust the flow by moving the white wheel located in the blue plastic slide that surrounds the line. Moving it towards the small end slows the flow.
  5. Check to see that the IV line is still in the vein. If there is a bubble near the needle or if the leg is puffy, the needle is not in the vein. Turn off the drip and remove the IV line, applying pressure to the vein afterwards to stop any bleeding.
  6. At the first sign of puffiness anywhere on the animal, especially around the face and eyes, turn the IV system off, as it is overloading the animal. This can cause respiratory arrest as the lungs fill with fluid, and has been known to cause the death of an animal.
  7. If problems occur with the pump-driven IV system in a research animal, call the researcher immediately.

Restraint Boards
To prevent them from pulling out their IV lines, animals are sometimes restrained, face up, on a form-fitting board with Velcro straps for their arms and legs. Because of the risk of aspiration, such animals are not to be mouth-fed, gavage or otherwise. Keep a gauze pad under the animal's posterior at all times, and change the pad every 4 hr at diurnal time, or more often if necessary. Check the appropriate box on the diurnal sheet if the animal is restrained.

Oxygen
The administration of oxygen is usually indicated for animals that have aspirated or are cyanotic and/or hypothermic. It may also be used for animals with certain injuries or for animals undergoing certain experimental procedures. There are several rules for the handling of oxygen:

  1. To use an oxygen tank, you must provide it with a pressure regulator if it doesn't already have one. Make sure someone has shown you exactly how to do this before you need to in an emergency. The valve on the tank must be closed (clockwise) and the valve on the regulator must be open (counter-clockwise) when you are changing regulators. Use a crescent wrench to loosen or tighten the nut on the regulator.
  2. To administer oxygen, turn the tank valve on. The pressure gauge will show how much oxygen is left in the tank. Use the regulator valve to adjust the flow rate. The ball bearing will rise in the column to a level indicating the flow rate in liters per minute; this should initially be set around 3 and adjusted according to the oxygen monitor.
  3. Always use an oxygen monitor. Remove the protective cap from the probe and check the calibration first. Normal air is 21% oxygen, and this is marked in red on the meter. Once the meter reads normal in room air, place the probe inside the incubator (or Plexiglas dome, if used). Check the reading every 15 min until it has stabilized, and adjust the flow rate until the prescribed concentration is reached (30% unless indicated otherwise).
  4. Always use a humidifier when administering oxygen. Oxygen from the cylinders is completely dry and must be mixed with water vapor and warmed so that it does not harm the lungs. Fill the humidifier bottle with distilled water to the line and plug in the water heater. Run one tube from the oxygen cylinder to the humidifier, and the other from the humidifier to the incubator. Make sure the incubator also has enough water.
  5. Oxygen levels above 50% cannot be achieved unless the animal is placed in a Plexiglas dome. Animals so placed must have both the oxygen probe and a temperature probe placed inside the dome to monitor oxygen and temperature. Extended high oxygen levels can injure the animal's lungs, so don't place an animal in a high oxygen (over 50%) atmosphere unless told to do so by a member of the veterinary staff.
  6. Keep an eye on the gauge on the regulator—change oxygen tanks before they run out.
  7. When changing oxygen tanks:
  8. Record the oxygen level on the green diurnal sheet at every diurnal measurement.

Rectal Temperatures

  1. Before each diurnal time, check the temperature monitor for calibration. Switching the mode dial to "red line" should line up the needle with the red mark on the dial. If not, insert a coin or a pen tip in the slotted shaft and adjust until aligned. Next, turn the mode dial to "on" and insert one or more of the temperature standards (the little plugs with temperatures marked on them) into the station you will use. Check the reading against the standard and adjust the calibration if necessary. Use the same station (usually number 1) for all your readings.
  2. Temperature probes should be cleaned with an alcohol wipe both before and after each reading. Wipe gently, from the tip back, as the probes are easily damaged by rough handling.
  3. Place some K-Y or Lubifax jelly on the probe tip and insert into the animal's rectum. Insert only 1-2 inches for young infants, and do not force. If the animal has a bloody stool or rectum, whether from Shigella or lesions, do not take rectal temperature unless the veterinary staff tells you to.
  4. The reading at which the needle stops rising is the temperature, and it takes at least 20 sec for the needle to stabilize. If the needle jumps rapidly about, there is a break in the probe. Put it aside with a note taped to it so it can be repaired or replaced.
  5. Use a fresh probe for each animal. Absolutely do not share probes between sick and healthy animals.
  6. When the animal moves out of the nursery for housing elsewhere, take its temperature 4 and 24 hr later to ensure that it has adjusted to the new room temperature.

    [IPRL Homepage | Table of Contents]