Short-term survival rates of 1397 horses referred for colic from 2010 to 2018

Evaluation of substance P as a biomarker for pain in equine colic

Equine colic is an important condition associated with acute abdominal pain and one of the leading causes of death in horses. As such, objectively evaluating pain is of interest for attending veterinarians. Pain scales for assessment are present, but no single pain-specific biomarker has been reported. The aim of this study was to determine if substance P (SP) could be a reliable biomarker to reflect pain and serve as a parameter to predict outcome in equine colic. The hypothesis was that horses displaying severe colic signs present with higher values of SP in contrast to those with mild colic signs. Thirty warmblood horses, aged between 3 and 20 years were recruited; evenly distributed (10 horses each) in three colic groups (mild, moderate, severe). To classify the colic signs, the horses were graded by the Equine Acute Abdominal Pain Scale (EAAPS). Clinical examination and EAAPS were performed at arrival in the hospital. Blood samples were collected four times in hourly intervals commencing from arrival. For comparison, already established parameters for prognosticating equine colic (heart rate, serum cortisol, and blood lactate concentration) were also measured. The assumption of increasing SP concentrations along with pain could not be confirmed. SP did not show any association with heart rate, cortisol, lactate, or EAAPS. Whereas the established parameters increased according to the EAAPS, SP remained stable in individual horses regardless of clinical signs, treatment, and disease progression. Consequently, SP was not a reliable parameter to reflect painful conditions or to predict outcome in equine colic.

Long-term outcome after colic surgery: retrospective study of 106 horses in the USA (2014-2021)

Objective

To determine long-term survival rate, defined as survival to 1 year after discharge from the hospital, and rate of return to prior athletic, breeding, or other function in horses undergoing colic surgery at the first presentation at one referral hospital in the Pacific northwest region of the United States.

Procedures

Records were reviewed for all horses that underwent colic surgery between October 2014 and October 2021. Owners of horses that survived to discharge were contacted to obtain follow-up information via internet-based questionnaire or telephone interview. The percentage of horses that survived to 1 year after discharge, rates of return to function, and complications occurring after hospital discharge were determined. The possible association of patient signalment, lesion type, and surgical procedures with long-term survival was examined with Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Overall satisfaction was indicated on a scale of 1 (unsatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied).

Results

Of 185 horses that underwent surgical intervention for colic and met the inclusion criteria, 134 horses recovered from anesthesia, with 106 of these recovered horses (79.1%) surviving to discharge. Of the 71 horses for which follow-up information was obtained, 61 horses survived to 1 year after discharge (long-term survival rate of 85.9%). There were no demographic, lesion type, or surgical procedure variables significantly associated with long-term survival. Prior to surgery, 59/71 horses (83.1%) were engaged in some type of athletic activity. After surgery, 44/61 horses (72.1%) were reported to be athletically active. Only one horse was reported to be retired from athletic activity as a direct result of a complication from surgery. Overall satisfaction with the decision to proceed with colic surgery was rated by all respondents as 4 or 5.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

The long-term survival for this sample of horses was similar to previously published reports of long-term survival after colic surgery. Horses that survived to hospital discharge were highly likely to remain alive and be athletically active 1 year later. There were no factors related to the signalment of the horse, the specific cause of colic, or the surgical procedures performed that were significantly associated with likelihood of survival.

Short-Term Survival and Postoperative Complications Rates in Horses Undergoing Colic Surgery: A Multicentre Study

The occurrence of colic could be influenced by the characteristics of a population, geographical area, and feeding management. The aim of this study was to report the short-term postoperative complications and survival rates and to identify factors that might affect the outcome of horses that underwent colic surgery in three Italian surgical referral centres. Data of horses subjected to colic surgery in three referral centres (2018-2021) were analysed. Comparisons of the outcomes were performed using a Mann-Whitney or a Chi square test. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used for parameters that were significant in the previous univariate analysis. The goodness-of-fit of the model was assessed using the Akike information criterion (AIC). Significance was defined as p < 0.05, and odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated as percentages. A total of 451 horses were included. The survival rate was 68.5% of all of the horses that underwent colic surgery and 80% of the horses surviving anaesthesia. Age, BCS, PCV and TPP before and after surgery, amount of reflux, type of disease, type of lesion, duration of surgery, surgeon's experience, and amount of intra- and postoperative fluids administered influenced the probability of short-term survival. The multivariate analysis revealed that PCV at arrival, TPP after surgery, and BCS had the highest predictive power. This is the first multicentre study in Italy. The results of this study may help surgeons to inform owners regarding the prognosis of colic surgery.