title: Bronchoalveolar lavage in a dolphin.
abstract: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed twice to evaluate a stranded Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphin for pulmonary disease. A pediatric gastroscope with a working length of 1,090 mm and an outer diameter of 9.8 mm was of appropriate size for BAL in this dolphin. Fifty milliliters of sterile saline (0.9% NaCl) solution was used in each of 2 sites for the first lavage. Fluid recovery was 58 and 66% from the 2 sites; however, results of cytologic analyses were typical of a bronchial wash rather than BAL. Larger volumes of saline solution (85 to 100 ml/site) were used in the second lavage. Although fluid recovery was only 25 and 30% from the 2 sites, results of cytologic analyses were consistent with BAL. Mononuclear cells accounted for 72 and 90% of total WBC. Although the dolphin of this report did not appear to have pulmonary disease, experience obtained by performing BAL provided valuable information for the practical application of this technique in dolphins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Companion Animal and Special Species Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27606, USA.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: F I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lewbart
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Stamper
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Thayer
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Rhinehart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology; D004289:Dolphins; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary