Randomized Controlled Trial to Compare Ear Tipping Methods for Community Cats

E. Vitello, R. Erhart, M. Session, A. Xu, A. Dalrymple, R. Kreisler
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Abstract

Methods for ear tipping are variable. The majority of practitioners have experience with only a single method, and so are not able to directly compare methods. The aim of this study was to find the most effective method of ear tipping, with the predetermined primary outcome measure incidence of breakthrough bleeding (bleeding after leaving the ear tip station), and secondary outcome measures of procedure time, conformation to 1 cm target, client satisfaction, ear tipper preference, and cosmesis. Free-roaming cats over the age of six months presented for trap-neuter-return at Midwestern University were enrolled from June 2022 to February 2023 and randomly assigned via block randomization to one of seven experimental groups: wood burning tool with hemostat (WBT+H), scalpel blade and hemostat (SB+H) with commercially available hemostatic gel (SB+H/gel), SB+H with compounded hemostatic paste (SB+H/CHP), Mayo scissors and hemostat (MS+H) with gel (MS+H/gel), MS+H with CHP (MS+H/CHP), Mayo scissors only with gel (MS/gel), and MS with CHP (MS/CHP). One cm was removed from the distal pinna of the left ear according to the assigned experimental condition. The process was timed, and the ear was photographed for rating of cosmesis by a panel of three independent raters based on the straightness of line and angle of ear tip in relation to the vertical axis of the ear. Clients were surveyed at discharge regarding their satisfaction with the ear tip and the researchers were surveyed at the end of the study regarding their method preference. Fisher’s exact tests and logistic regression were used to compare binary data and linear regression for continuous. The overall rate of breakthrough bleeding was 7% (95%CI 4.4-11.3%), and there were differences between the methods (P < 0.0001). Neither WBT+H nor MS+H had any occurrences (95%CI 0-9.7%), while SB+H/gel had the highest rate (29%, 95%CI 15.1-47.5%). The median procedure time was 10s (IQR 7-13, range 3-30), and while there was a statistical difference between tools (P = 0.0001), a maximum difference of 27s was not considered clinically significant. Ears were more likely to be tipped greater than 1 cm when MS (OR = 2.6 , P = 0.031) or WBT+H was used (OR 3.4, P = 0.015) as compared to SB+H. Ears were more likely to be tipped less than 1 cm when SB+H (OR = 10.4, P = 0.026) or MS+H was used (OR = 10.8, P = 0.024). Clients were satisfied with 88% (95%CI 83-92%) of the ear tips, but increased satisfaction was not found to be associated with the size of the tip (P = 0.575) nor equipment (P = 0.881). SB+H had the highest mean cosmesis score (5.12/6, SD 0.87), with WBT+H (4.4/6, SD 1.07) and MS (4.7/6, SD 0.97) significantly lower, P < 0.0001 and P = 0.014, respectively. All four people performing ear tips preferred SB+H/CHP. Different ear tipping methods had different benefits and drawbacks. WBT+H was superior by our primary outcome measure, breakthrough bleeding, but inferior in our secondary outcome measures of cosmesis and tips greater than 1 cm. SB+H yielded the greatest cosmesis but often resulted in ear tips less than 1 cm, and when used with gel, had the greatest risk of breakthrough bleeding.
比较社区猫竖起耳朵方法的随机对照试验
耳垂的方法是可变的。大多数实践者只有一种方法的经验,因此不能直接比较方法。本研究的目的是寻找最有效的拔耳方法,其预定的主要结果测量突破性出血的发生率(离开耳尖位置后出血),次要结果测量手术时间,符合1厘米目标,客户满意度,耳尖偏好和外观。从2022年6月到2023年2月,中西部大学(midwest University)招募了6个月以上的自由漫游猫,并将它们随机分配到七个实验组之一:烧木工具与止血钳(WBT+H)、手术刀刀片与止血钳(SB+H)与市售止血胶(SB+H/gel)、SB+H与复合止血膏(SB+H/CHP)、梅奥剪刀与止血钳(MS+H)与凝胶(MS+H/gel)、MS+H与CHP (MS+H/CHP)、梅奥剪刀仅与凝胶(MS/gel)、MS与CHP (MS/CHP)。按照指定的实验条件从左耳远端耳廓切除1 cm。这个过程是定时的,由三个独立的评分者组成的小组根据耳朵的直线度和耳尖相对于耳朵的垂直轴的角度对耳朵进行美容评分。病人出院时接受了关于他们对耳尖的满意度的调查,研究人员在研究结束时接受了关于他们的方法偏好的调查。采用Fisher精确检验和logistic回归对二元数据和线性回归进行比较。总突破出血率为7% (95%CI 4.4 ~ 11.3%),两种方法间差异有统计学意义(P < 0.0001)。WBT+H和MS+H均未发生(95%CI 0 ~ 9.7%),而SB+H/gel发生率最高(29%,95%CI 15.1 ~ 47.5%)。中位手术时间为10s (IQR 7-13,范围3-30),虽然两种工具之间存在统计学差异(P = 0.0001),但最大差异为27s,不认为具有临床意义。与SB+H相比,MS (OR = 2.6, P = 0.031)或WBT+H (OR 3.4, P = 0.015)的耳尖大于1 cm的可能性更大。使用SB+H (OR = 10.4, P = 0.026)或MS+H (OR = 10.8, P = 0.024)时,穗尖小于1 cm的可能性更大。患者对88% (95%CI 83-92%)的耳尖感到满意,但满意度的增加与耳尖的大小(P = 0.575)和设备(P = 0.881)无关。SB+H组平均美容评分最高(5.12/6,SD 0.87), WBT+H组(4.4/6,SD 1.07)和MS组(4.7/6,SD 0.97)显著低于SB+H组(P < 0.0001)和MS组(P = 0.014)。所有四个人都更喜欢SB+H/CHP。不同的倾耳方法有不同的优点和缺点。WBT+H在我们的主要结局指标突破性出血方面较好,但在美容和针尖大于1cm的次要结局指标方面较差。SB+H产生了最大的美容效果,但通常导致耳尖小于1厘米,当与凝胶一起使用时,突破性出血的风险最大。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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