Mense Taking SOP PDF

Oregon National Primate Research Center Animal Resources & Research Support Animal Care Mense Taking Page 1 of 3 SOP AC-008 Version 3 Supersedes: AC-008-02 Attachments: 0 General: A large amount of research depends upon the quality of the mense observations. Mense is the bloody vaginal discharge...

Oregon National Primate Research Center Animal Resources & Research Support Animal Care Mense Taking Page 1 of 3 SOP AC-008 Version 3 Supersedes: AC-008-02 Attachments: 0 General: A large amount of research depends upon the quality of the mense observations. Mense is the bloody vaginal discharge associated with the monthly menstrual cycle of female old-world NHPs. Mense data is used to initiate, modify, and control the direction of research protocols. Mense is also crucial to the Time-Mated Breeding (TMB) Program for the production of infants with known gestational ages and pregnant females for research studies. I. Mense Supplies A. TMB staff is responsible for maintaining equipment and supplies. 1. Clipboard with Mense Record Forms a. Extra Forms are kept in the file caddy at the west entrance of ASB 3. 2. Flashlight 3. Clipboard with Mense Record Forms, flashlight, and pen are typically kept in area diet kitchens. These items should be returned to their original location after each use. II. Procedures for mense checks A. Personnel taking mense data shall be trained by TMB personnel or qualified CETU staff to promote accurate and consistent data collection, and training will be documented in the PRIMe training database. The trained area technician is responsible for daily mense checks on weekends or when TMB personnel are unavailable to take mense. B. Rooms are to be checked prior to morning wash down. 1. Mense forms must include room numbers. C. Day sheets in all areas to be mense checked must be initialed in the “Mense Check” column on the right. D. All areas that require mense checks are listed below and will have their records delivered to the ARRS TMB office in RS 123 on the weekdays and the ASB 3 Lead office on the weekends. 1. Personnel recording mense on the weekends may use the same sheet for Saturday and Sunday and then deliver it to the ASB 3 Lead office after checking mense on Sunday. 2. Areas that require records from select females to be faxed include ABSL-2+, ABSL-3, Kroc, and Annex Quarantine. The “Sequester Containment Female” mense report email is sent out daily to ASB Lead techs prior to 7 am and includes all females in ABSL-2+ areas requiring mense collection. 3. Areas that allow hard copy records to be delivered to the TMB office/ASB Lead office include ASA, ASB 1, 2, 3, Sequester, ESPF, Colony Run 5, Colony South Wing, Colony Annex, PENS Support, and Bosky. In areas that don’t allow hard copies, the area technician will record mense data on the mense laminate sheet and then copy data onto a clean hard copy and deliver to the TMB office/ASB Lead office. Change Summary: Procedural Effective date: May 18th, 2023 https://bridge.ohsu.edu/research/onprc/dcm/DCM%20Standard%20Operatiing%20Procedures/Forms/Default%20View.aspx Oregon National Primate Research Center Animal Resources & Research Support Animal Care Mense Taking Page 2 of 3 SOP AC-008 Version 3 Supersedes: AC-008-02 Attachments: 0 III. Mense Taking Strategies & Obstacles A. The best way of taking mense is trained female presentation. Some females have been trained and attempts should be made to give them an opportunity for presentation. For untrained females, staining of hair on tail, thighs, lower legs and blood on perch, cage floor and/or drops on pan indicates mense. This varies from one drop to heavy. One drop in the pan may signify day one of the mense cycle. Start of cycle may be important information to investigators and to the TMB Coordinator. Special attention may be requested by an investigator. B. Many obstacles are encountered that can make mense check confusing. Various fruits, vegetables, and enrichment items have a red appearance: including red Jell-O, apple peelings, bark shavings, peanut shell skins, strawberries, etc. Close observations are required to determine true mense. Injections and blood draws may leave blood on the cage that could be mistaken for mense. If you have a question, ask the clinical, husbandry, or research staff if a female has been bled or given an injection. C. Medical issues that can make reading mense difficult include torn ischial pads, bloody diarrhea (e.g. Campylobacter, Shigella), injuries from cage-mates, or other trauma wounds. If blood is present from an injury, record it on the day sheet. Inform clinic that the blood is not from mense. Mense takers should record animal health or well-being information they feel needs clinical attention. D. Paired females will be the most challenging situation for mense checks. It is important to record the correct female. Your trainer will provide tips on how best to identify the mensing female. If the recorder cannot identify the mensing animal, the trainer will explain how to record this on the mense sheet. It is possible for both animals to be mensing. If you know the female that is mensing, but can’t identify the animal number, put the number from both animals on the mense sheet with a unique animal description in the “note” column (e.g., heaviest, darker color coat, etc.). Do this only as a last resort. Try using a slide or ask another technician for help. Multiple people can make reading animal numbers easier. IV. Pregnant Females A. It is the mense taker’s task to observe pregnancy tags and to keep a watchful eye on pregnant females. If blood is observed, notify clinic. If the female is not responsive, laying down, or huddled, notify clinic immediately. If there is a new infant, notify a lead technician and clinic. Note new infant state. If infant seems non-responsive or is otherwise struggling, such as not grasping onto the dam or seems to have respiratory issues, notify the lead technician and clinic immediately. Some pregnant females are assigned to projects that require prompt notification of issues to investigators. Inform the lead technician ASAP if you find problems so they can relay them to a veterinarian and the investigator. B. The TMB rooms in ASA 2 & 3 will always have pregnancies, so please keep an eye out for abnormal behavior or new births. C. It is important to note that some blood in the pan (implantation bleeding when embryo embeds in the uterine lining) early in pregnancy can be normal, but it should always be recorded as previously mentioned. Change Summary: Procedural Effective date: May 18th, 2023 https://bridge.ohsu.edu/research/onprc/dcm/DCM%20Standard%20Operatiing%20Procedures/Forms/Default%20View.aspx Oregon National Primate Research Center Animal Resources & Research Support Animal Care Mense Taking Page 3 of 3 SOP AC-008 Version 3 Supersedes: AC-008-02 Attachments: 0 V. Documentation Practices A. Record all females that are mensing on the mense sheet. Be sure to note if they are with a male, with a newborn or infant, if they have heavy mense, or are post-surgical. Heavy mense or other related clinical concerns should be noted on the mense sheet and the DOS. B. Note the room number, animal number, and cage location for all entries as applicable. Change Summary: Procedural Effective date: May 18th, 2023 https://bridge.ohsu.edu/research/onprc/dcm/DCM%20Standard%20Operatiing%20Procedures/Forms/Default%20View.aspx