{"id":1899,"date":"2021-06-10T10:54:36","date_gmt":"2021-06-10T17:54:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iacuc.oornetwork.wpengine.com\/?page_id=1899"},"modified":"2026-10-22T14:24:31","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T21:24:31","slug":"guides","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/iacuc.usc.edu\/?page_id=1899","title":{"rendered":"Guides"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Guides<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Login to the iStar system<\/a> and\u00a0complete the forms. Instructions are available on the site. Submit the forms electronically.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnimal Use Classification<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Following is a list of categories providing possible examples of procedures which are representative of each category.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Type A: Studies which cause little or no pain or distress.<\/span>
Examples include housing and brief restraint of animals for observation or examination; single blood sampling; single injections of non\u2013toxic materials; standard approved methods of euthanasia that induce rapid unconsciousness; short periods (a few hours) of food and water deprivation; and behavioral observations.<\/p>\n

Type B: Studies which may involve minor pain or distress of short duration.<\/span>
These include surgical procedures and other studies on\u00a0anesthetized<\/em>\u00a0animals where the animals\u00a0do not<\/em>\u00a0regain consciousness (eg non\u2013survival surgery). Also included are cannulation of vessels or body cavities performed under anesthesia; minor surgical procedures such as biopsies and others where post\u2013surgical pain and distress are minimal; overnight or longer food or water deprivation; behavioral studies on awake animals that involve short\u2013term restraint; studies using noxious stimuli from which escape is possible; using tumor implants or hybridomas under guidelines as outlined by the IACUC; and the use of Freund\u2019s complete adjuvant injected intramuscularly.<\/p>\n

Comment: During and after Type B studies animals are not expected to show anorexia, dehydration, abnormal discharges, hyperactivity, increased recumbency or dormancy, increased vocalization, self\u2013mutilation, aggressive\u2013defensive behavior or demonstrate social withdrawal and self\u2013isolation.<\/p>\n

Type C: Studies which may involve moderate to severe pain or distress.<\/span>
These include major surgical procedures performed\u00a0under anesthesia<\/em>, permitting recovery, with adherence to acceptable veterinary practices including postoperative analgesia, fluid therapy and veterinary nursing care; prolonged periods (several hours or more) of physical restraint or deprivation of the animals\u2019 environmental necessities, such as maternal deprivation, aggression, predatory\u2013prey interactions; procedures which alter perceptual or motor functions, such as the induction of paralysis or seizures; and induction of infectious diseases or toxicities, and when severe clinical symptoms begin to appear the animals are treated or euthanized.<\/p>\n

Comment: Involvement of trained technicians, scientists and veterinarians is critical if this pain is to be minimized or avoided. Animals used in Type C studies should not show signs of\u00a0prolonged<\/em>\u00a0clinical distress, such as behavioral abnormalities, lack of grooming, dehydration, anemia, abnormal vocalization, prolonged anorexia, self-mutilation, increased signs of infectious processes (peritonitis, pneumonia, diarrhea, encephalitis, etc.). If these clinical abnormalities develop, the necessary treatments to alleviate the symptoms must be available and provided. If the symptoms cannot be alleviated, the animals must be euthanized with minimal delay.<\/p>\n

Type D: Projects that may involve moderate to severe pain or distress without the benefit of pain\u2013relieving drugs or other appropriate therapy.<\/span>
Such studies include application of noxious stimuli from which escape is impossible; exposure to noxious stimuli or agents whose effects are unknown; completely new experiments which have a high degree of invasiveness; induction of aggressive behavior leading to self\u2013mutilation or fighting; and induction of infectious diseases or toxicities where death is an end point and animals are not treated or euthanized when severe clinical abnormalities develop.<\/p>\n

Comment: Type D projects present an explicit responsibility on the faculty to explore alternative methods before proceeding with the study. Type D projects are considered by some to be highly questionable or unacceptable, irrespective of the significance of the anticipated results. Before our Committee can review and approve these projects, the justification statements and the veterinary involvement must be clearly presentable and understandable.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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All personnel (faculty, staff, students) who will use animals on the protocol must be listed with either their social security number or USC employee number. The USC security department requires one of these numbers for identification of staff who will work in animal facilities after hours.<\/p>\n

The training status of all staff must also be listed. Two types of training are required:<\/p>\n