citation_inspection: 128

Five protocols reviewed had searches that stated: (cid:28)No alternatives, Refinements, Replacements, or Reduction methods were found(cid:29). All five used a database search to consider alternatives to painful/distressful procedures but used search terms that were restrictive or inappropriate for the painful procedures. None of the search narratives included any indication of the number of articles found. This would be useful for the IACUC to assess that a reasonable and good faith effort was made to determine the availability of alternatives or alternative methods. One of the five Protocols found no alternatives to the initially proposed procedures. Two animals had complications to the procedures and refinements were identified after consultation with the facility Attending Veterinarian (AV). This demonstrates that there was potential for a proper literature search to have identified refinements that would have prevented potentially painful or distressful conditions in these study animals. Another of the protocols had nine combinations of search terms but found no alternatives to the procedures and no mention of the relevant articles found. A search performed by USDA personnel found 20 relevant article abstracts for one potentially painful procedure related to the protocol. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is responsible for ensuring that investigators have appropriately considered alternatives to any procedures that may cause more than slight or momentary pain or distress. If investigators do not appropriately consider Alternatives that would: Reduce, Refine, and/or Replace the procedures performed on animals then those animals may experience unnecessary pain and distress. Correct by assuring all new protocols contain an effective search and appropriate consideration of methods found as determined thru a written narrative description of the methods and sources. To be corrected for protocols approved from this point forward. An exit interview was conducted with the IACUC Chair, and representatives from facility VS and OAWA.