Atla Altern Lab Anim
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Atla Altern Lab Anim · Dec 2018
ReviewThe application of humane endpoints and humane killing methods in animal research proposals: A retrospective review.
Refinement refers to the use of methods that help to minimise animal suffering in the laboratory. Research in this area has increased significantly over the past two decades. However, the extent to which refinements are applied in practice is uncertain. ⋯ We provide recommendations for future improvements, based on the recent literature. To ensure scientific rigour, avoid needless animal suffering and enable an accurate harm-benefit analysis, animal researchers have to be knowledgeable about refinement methods and apply them effectively. To assess compliance and ensure that only those studies in which potential benefits outweigh the harms are carried out, reviews such as ours - as well as retrospective assessments of actual harms and benefits - should be conducted widely and regularly, and the findings should be published.