[Treatment of chronic endometritis in cattle by intrauterine application of peroxyethan acid].

OBJECTIVE: Peroxyethane acid (POA) is capable of disrupting the ring of bacterial catalase and has a broad microbiocidal spectrum. Following application, POA degrades to acetic acid and peroxide. There are no residues and no resistance development. Because POA administration for bladder and wound lavage in human medicine produced positive results, the substance was tested for the treatment of cows with endometritis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: After successful preliminary trials under clinical conditions, a comparative analysis using standard uterine treatments, focusing particularly on antibiotics, followed. A total of 3557 cows from large herds with chronic endometritis catarrhalis of varying degrees were included. A 0.2% POA solution was used. The effect was evaluated based on the reproductive data for each substance used.

RESULTS: After POA use, equivalent or better results were achieved compared to antibiotic-treated cows. Histological and cytological examinations demonstrated a rapid and high regenerative ability of the endometrium after intrauterine POA instillation. POA induced an intensive phagocytosis beyond the 6th day of instillation.

CONCLUSION: According to the results, POA may be used as an alternative to antibiotics to treat endometritis catarrhalis chronica in cows. Currently, no licensed product is available, which significantly restricts POA use. In view of the increasing problems associated with antibiotic resistance, the new approval of a corresponding POA pre - paration is justified.