@article{harms_mallo_ross_segars_2003, title={Venous blood gases and lactates of wild loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) following two capture techniques}, volume={39}, ISSN={["1943-3700"]}, DOI={10.7589/0090-3558-39.2.366}, abstractNote={During summer of 2001, venous blood gases were determined in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) captured by trawl (n=16) in coastal waters of South Carolina and Georgia (USA) as part of a sea turtle census program and captured in pound nets (n=6) in coastal North Carolina (USA) during a study of sea turtle population biology. Trawls were towed for 30 min, so turtles captured were forcibly submerged for ≤30 min. Pound nets are passive gear in which fish and sea turtles are funneled into a concentrated area and removed periodically. Sea turtles in pound nets are free to surface and to feed at will. Blood was obtained from the dorsal cervical sinus as quickly as possible after landing on the boat (range 2–10 min trawl, 1–2 min pound net) and at 30 min after landing just prior to release. Blood gases including pH, partial pressures of O2 and CO2 (pO2, pCO2), and lactate were measured within 10 min. Instrument measurements for pH, pO2, and pCO2 made at 37 C were corrected to cloacal temperature and HCO3− was calculated from temperature-corrected pH and pCO2. Venous blood pH and bicarbonate were higher, and pO2 and lactate were lower from pound net-captured turtles compared to trawl captured turtles at the initial sampling time. In pound net turtles, pH and bicarbonate declined and lactate increased during 30 min on deck. In trawled sea turtles, venous blood pH increased and pCO2 and pO2 decreased during the 30 min on deck. Both capture systems caused perturbations in blood gas, acid-base, and lactate status, though alterations were greater in trawl captured turtles.}, number={2}, journal={JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES}, author={Harms, CA and Mallo, KM and Ross, PM and Segars, A}, year={2003}, month={Apr}, pages={366–374} }
 @article{mallo_harms_lewbart_papich_2002, title={Pharmacokinetics of fluconazole in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) after single intravenous and subcutaneous injections, and multiple subcutaneous injections}, volume={33}, DOI={10.1638/1042-7260(2002)033[0029:pofils]2.0.co;2}, abstractNote={Abstract Superficial and systemic mycotic infections are common among clinically ill sea turtles, which places growing importance on the establishment of pharmacokinetic-based dosage regimens for antifungal drugs. The pharmacokinetic properties of the antifungal drug fluconazole, after intravenous (i.v.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) injections, were studied in juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) housed at 23.0–26.5°C. Fluconazole pharmacokinetic properties were further assessed in a multiple-dose s.c. regimen derived from the pharmacokinetic parameters determined in the single-dose study. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated, using a two-compartment model, from plasma concentration–time data obtained after single i.v. and s.c. administrations of fluconazole at a dosage of 2.5 mg/kg body weight in six juvenile sea turtles. Blood samples were collected at intervals through 120 hr after each dose, and the concentration of fluconazole in plasma was measured by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The i.v. and s.c. elimination half-lives were 139.5 ± 36.0 and 132.6 ± 48.7 hr (mean ± SD), respectively. Systemic clearance of fluconazole was 8.2 ± 4.3 ml/kg·hr, and the apparent volume of distribution at steady state was 1.38 ± 0.29 L/kg. A multiple-dose regimen was derived, which consisted of a loading dose of 21 mg/kg body weight and subsequent doses of 10 mg/kg administered through s.c. injection every 120 hr (5 days). This regimen was administered to four juvenile sea turtles for 10 days, and blood samples were taken to determine peak and trough plasma concentrations of fluconazole. The mean concentrations for the two peak concentrations were 16.9 ± 1.1 and 19.1 ± 2.8 μg/ml 4 hr after dosing, and the mean concentrations for the three trough concentrations were 7.2 ± 2.2, 10.4 ± 2.7, and 10.7 ± 2.9 μg/ml 120 hr after dosing. The terminal half-life after the last dose was calculated at 143 hr. Throughout the multiple dosing, fluconazole concentrations remained above approximately 8 μg/ml, a concentration targeted when treating mycotic infections in humans. The results of this study suggest that fluconazole can be effectively administered to sea turtles at a dosage of 10 mg/kg every 5 days after a loading dose of 21 mg/kg.}, number={1}, journal={Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine}, author={Mallo, K. M. and Harms, C. A. and Lewbart, Gregory and Papich, Mark}, year={2002}, pages={29–35} }