Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Pain and distress: what really matters?

  • Opinion
  • Published:
Lab Animal

Abstract

Federal regulations mandate the minimization of both pain and distress in laboratory animals. That no clear definition exists for 'distress' complicates its recognition, quantification, and alleviation. The author argues that IACUCs and investigators should shift their focus from pain to distress, and that in doing so both problems will be better dealt with. She discusses criteria for defining 'significant' distress, and offers suggestions for the conduct of studies to determine levels of distress.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Animal Welfare Act as Amended (7 USC 2131–2159).

  2. Distress. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2005–2006). Accessed 6 Feb 2006. Available at: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/distress.

  3. Interagency Research Animal Committee. U.S. Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Training (Office of Science and Technology Policy, Washington, DC, 1985).

  4. 9 CFR, Chapter 1, Subchapter A—Animal Welfare, Parts 1–4.

  5. National Research Council. Recognition and Alleviation of Pain and Distress in Laboratory Animals (National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1992).

  6. National Research Council. Guidelines for the Care and Use of Mammals in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research (National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2003).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Regional Animal Care Specialist, USDA, APHIS, Animal Care. Email: vwkoch@hotmail.com. Note: This article represents the personal opinions of its author. The USDA APHIS does not endorse this article, which contains statements that are inconsistent with the Agency's current interpretation of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations. Readers should not use this article as a basis for compliance with the AWA.,

    V. Wensley Koch

Authors
  1. V. Wensley Koch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Koch, V. Pain and distress: what really matters?. Lab Anim 35, 27–32 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban0506-27

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/laban0506-27

  • Springer Nature America, Inc.

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation