AALAS Webinar: Humane Endpoints for Mice

Humane endpoints are important refinements for studies that result in unrelieved and severe pain and distress. The earliest possible endpoints that are indicators of distress, severe pain, or impending death should be determined prior to the animal reaching a moribund state and should drive the decision for humane euthanasia once the study objectives are satisfied or known to be unachievable. The challenge is in identifying specific endpoints that accurately indicate suffering and predict mortality. Historical endpoints have been vague and therefore unhelpful as indicators or predictors. Dr. Nunamaker will discuss the development of observation-based scoring systems that score clinical signs that objectively assess animal pain and distress. Scoring avoids disturbing the animal, tracks deterioration or resolution of the animal’s condition, and facilitates decision-making on the animal’s endpoint. Key behavioral signs together with physiological parameters will be discussed for assessing humane endpoints in the types of studies commonly performed on mice. The presentation will focus on presenting scientific data on defining behavioral and physiological humane endpoints in mice used in studies of total body irradiation and sepsis.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm
State, Province or Country: 
Webinar
Event Time Zone: 
Central
Standard Time