The search for refinement alternatives: when you've just got to use animals.
Refinements to animal-use protocols can help reduce animal pain and distress, thus producing cleaner data. Yet, most researchers neglect a refinement search, despite legal mandates, because the information is not readily available. What's more, IACUCs may have difficulty assessing researchers' refinement searches. The author offers some solutions.
Kreger
M D
MD
Animal Welfare Information Center, National Agricultural Library, 10301 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705.