Hospitalization of horses involves the admission of equine patients to veterinary facilities for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of various medical conditions. This process is typically initiated when a horse requires intensive monitoring, specialized care, or advanced medical interventions that cannot be adequately provided in a non-clinical setting. Common reasons for equine hospitalization include surgical procedures, severe injuries, colic, respiratory disorders, and infectious diseases. During hospitalization, horses are monitored for vital signs, administered medications, and provided with supportive care tailored to their specific needs. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the protocols, outcomes, and advancements in the hospitalization of horses, providing insights into best practices and innovations in equine clinical care.
Ross DE, Ghodasara SK, Roskam JS, Gaccione AG, DiFazio LT, Bilaniuk JW, Nemeth ZH.Motorcycle and equestrian accidents can share similar trauma mechanisms and can result in serious injuries. Objective: This study aims to analyze variations in injuries and safety standards through types, severity, and outcomes of traumatic injuries in both motorcycle and equestrian riders. Methods: Using the 2020 ACS TQIP database, we split patients into two groups based on their primary injury. We chose codes V28 and V80.0 to identify non-collision fall or throw injuries for motorcycle and equestrian accidents respectively. A total of 17,730 motorcycle and 5,461 equestrian patients were iden...
Wong D, Sahoo DK, Faivre C, Kopper J, Dersh K, Beachler T, Esser M.Oxidative injury occurs in septic people, but the role of oxidative stress and antioxidants has rarely been evaluated in foals. Objective: To measure reactive oxygen species (ROS), biomarkers of oxidative injury, and antioxidants in neonatal foals. We hypothesized that ill foals would have higher blood concentrations of ROS and biomarkers of oxidative injury and lower concentrations of antioxidants compared to healthy foals. Methods: Seventy-two hospitalized and 21 healthy neonatal foals. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Reactive oxygen species (hydrogen peroxide [HO]), biomarkers of oxidati...
de la Cuesta-Torrado M, Velloso Alvarez A, Cárdenas-Rebollo JM, Neira-Egea P, Vitale V, Cuervo-Arango J.Understanding of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) myeloencephalopathy (EHM) is complicated by disparities among studies. Objective: Compare clinical findings and outcome in horses involved in 2 recent EHM outbreaks. Methods: Twenty-five and 10 horses affected during 2 natural EHM outbreaks were admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital (VTH) in 2021 and 2023, respectively. Methods: Data collected from the VTH and surveys completed by riders and horse owners were analyzed retrospectively. Results: No risk factors associated with EHM development showed significant differences between the outbreaks;...
Daradics Z, Bungărdean D, Lupșan AF, Popescu M, Bulmez O, Ciulu-Angelescu V, Chelaru VF, Morar I, Mircean M, Cătoi C, Tripon MA, Crecan CM.Ethylene glycol toxicosis is a common occurrence in dogs and cats but has been reported in other species as well. Up to date, only one case of ethylene glycol toxicosis has been described in horses, and specific guidelines for treating ethylene glycol intoxication in this species are not available. Here we describe the case of 39 sport horses that ingested water contaminated with ethylene glycol. The main clinical sign was apathy, but more severely affected individuals also developed abdominal pain and laminitis. Treatment was initiated around 24 h after the exposure, using ethanol as an antid...
Castelain DL, Dufourni A, Pas ML, Bokma J, de Bruijn E, Paulussen E, Lefère L, van Loon G, Pardon B.The care of sick neonatal foals is labor-intensive and costly. Prediction of risk of death upon admission is often difficult but might support decision-making. Objective: To determine diseases and risk factors associated with death in neonatal hospitalized foals. Methods: Two hundred twenty-two hospitalized foals, ≤7 days old. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Clinical and laboratory variables were evaluated for their association with death by means of Cox survival analysis and by classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. Results: Most prevalent diseases were sepsis (43.9%), e...
Rossi HS, Hyytiäinen HK, Junnila JJT, Rajamäki MM, Mykkänen AK.Pneumonia is a common condition in ailing neonatal foals, and it remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in this veterinary patient group. Factors affecting the survival of young foals with pneumonia have not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this study was to explore the potential prognostic factors associated with survival of these foals. Fifty foals under one month of age with pneumonia were included in this retrospective clinical study. The foals were divided into groups based on survival (survived to discharge or died/euthanised during hospitalisation). Multiple clini...
Loder RT, Walker AL, Blakemore LC.Fractures often occur due to equestrian activities with injury patterns varying by age. The purpose of this study was to investigate in detail fracture patterns and associated demographics in children due to equine activities. Methods: The US National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was queried for all injuries with the consumer product code 1239 (horseback riding) from 2000 to 2023. Those <16 years old with fractures were extracted. Statistical analyses were performed with SUDAAN 11.0.01™ software to obtain national estimates. Results: There were an estimated 101,677 patients with a f...
Dias Moreira AS, Weng HY, Hostnik LD, Beasley EM, Peek SF, Munsterman AS.To compare glucose measurements from capillary and venous blood samples using a point-of-care (POC) glucometer with a standard laboratory (colorimetric, glucose oxidase) assay (LABGLU) in a population of hospitalized, neonatal foals. Methods: Multicenter, prospective, experimental study, conducted between March 2019 and June 2020. Methods: Four university teaching hospitals and 1 private referral hospital. Methods: Fifty-four hospitalized neonatal (≤30 days of age) foals. Methods: Simultaneous capillary (muzzle, POCMUZ) and venous (jugular, POCJUG) blood samples were obtained to determine P...
Neville EK, Neville CC, Hicks H.The size, strength, and unpredictability of horses, makes any interaction a potential situation for minor to severe injury. Despite this, horses continue to be popular for work and recreational activities. There have been five recent Australian publications that have examined various aspects of horse-related trauma, but none have been conducted in regional New South Wales (NSW). This study aims to report on the pattern of horse-related trauma that met the Institute of Trauma Injury Management's (ITIM) Trauma Registry criteria for people who presented to the emergency department at a regional N...
Smith HL, Love KR, Antezana A, Barr EM, Gilger BC, Oh A.To determine clinical outcome, treatment costs, and hospitalization duration in horses treated for keratomycosis and identify ophthalmic examination and diagnostic results associated with these outcomes. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 126 equine keratomycosis cases between 2004 and 2020 with fungal infection confirmed on cytology, culture, and/or histopathology and a minimum of 1-month follow-up. Details of the ophthalmic examination, diagnostic test results, and treatment and cost outcomes were recorded. Outcomes of interest were analyzed by treatment type. The relationship of pat...
Smith HL, Love KR, Antezana A, Barr EM, Gilger BC, Oh A.The primary aims were to provide descriptive data on systemic and ocular complications associated with the treatment of equine keratomycosis. The secondary aims were to determine if complication rates differ between treatment types or are related to surgical and anesthetic factors. Methods: The study was a retrospective evaluation of 126 cases between 2004 and 2020 with confirmed fungal infection and recorded incidence of complications during hospitalization and surgical intervention if pursued. Additional information recorded included the size of the donor graft if utilized, time under genera...
Gomez DE, Kamr A, Gilsenan WF, Burns TA, Mudge MC, Hostnik LD, Toribio RE.Endothelial glycocalyx (EG) degradation occurs in septic humans and EG products can be used as biomarkers of endothelial injury. Information about EG biomarkers and their association with disease severity is lacking in hospitalized foals. Objective: Measure serum syndecan-1 (SDC-1), heparan sulfate (HS), angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2), aldosterone (ALD), and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations and to determine their association with disease severity and death in hospitalized foals. Methods: Ninety foals ≤3 days old. Methods: Prospective, multicenter, longitudinal study. Foals we...
Laleye BOFV, Seye M, Chiavaccini L.Limited knowledge exists on recognition and treatment of equine abdominal pain in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed at finding indicators for recognizing abdominal pain, evaluating responses to clinical and behavioral changes, and assessing the impact of timely referral on colic outcomes in a suburban region of Senegal. The final goal was to identify factors that may be leveraged to improve the outcome of horses presented for abdominal pain in Senegal. Unassigned: Retrospective, observational cohort study. Unassigned: Data from 26 foals and 40 adult horses referred for acute a...
Elane GL, Blikslager AT, Mair TS.The COVID-19 pandemic represented a significant source of anxiety and stress for equine veterinarians and clients, with the potential for measurable effects on caseload and owner economics. Unassigned: To compare the number of horses presenting for emergency colic evaluation and treatment, as well as costs at two equine referral hospitals. Unassigned: Retrospective cohort. Unassigned: Medical records of horses admitted to North Carolina State University (NCSU) and Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic (BEVC) were compared. Total equine accessions, number of horses referred for colic, and patient age w...
Nowak M, Martin-Cirera A, Jenner F, Auer U.Pain assessment in horses presents a significant challenge due to their nonverbal nature and their tendency to conceal signs of discomfort in the presence of potential threats, including humans. Therefore, this study aimed to identify pain-associated behaviors amenable to automated AI-based detection in video recordings. Additionally, it sought to determine correlations between pain intensity and behavioral and postural parameters by analyzing factors such as time budgets, weight shifting, and unstable resting. The ultimate goal is to facilitate the development of AI-based quantitative tools f...
Ryt-Hansen P, Johansen VK, Cuicani MM, Larsen LE, Hansen S.Equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) causes respiratory disease in horses, and the virus is considered endemic in the global equine population. However, outbreaks can occur when several horses are gathered in relation to shows, competitions, breeding units and at hospitals. In the spring year 2022, an EHV-4 outbreak occurred at the Large Animal Teaching Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Nine horses were tested EHV-4 positive during the outbreak, which lasted approx. seven weeks. In addition, a tenth horse "Eq10" tested EHV-4 positive almost three weeks after the last of the outbreak horses ...
Leppänen V, Mykkänen A.Vipera berus berus is the only venomous snake present in the Nordic countries and cases of envenomation in horses are reported during the warmer months. Little is known about the presentation, treatment and survival of horses with common European adder envenomation. Clinical and laboratory findings, treatment and outcome are reported for 28 horses admitted to Helsinki University Equine Hospital in 2008-2023 due to suspicion of snake bite. Eleven of these horses received antivenom treatment. Other common treatments included non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (22/28), antimicrobials (19/28), intr...
Lale D, Dirks EE, Preining I, Lyrakis M, Gömer A, Steinmann E, Cavalleri JV, Ramsauer AS.Equine parvovirus hepatitis (EqPV-H) can cause Theiler's disease and subclinical hepatitis in horses. Objective: Assess the frequency of subclinical EqPV-H infection in hospitalized horses and to study viral transmission by investigating potential shedding routes. Methods: One hundred sixteen equids, that presented to the University Equine Hospital of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna between February 2021 and March 2022, for causes other than hepatopathy. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, samples (serum, feces, nasal, and buccal swabs) of hospitalized horses were collected. S...
Gandini M, Cerullo A, Giusto G.Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common complication after celiotomy in horses, leading to increased morbidity and costs. Increased concern about antibiotic resistance justifies evaluation of alternative preventive approaches, such a Manuka honey which has displayed antimicrobial properties. Pectin-Honey Hydrogels (PHH), composed by Manuka honey and pectin provide a moist wound environment and microbial growth inhibition. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of PHHs in preventing SSI in horses subjected to emergency laparotomy. Horses undergoing laparotomy were evaluated. H...
Salciccia A, de la Rebière de Pouyade G, Caudron I, Ponthier J, Serteyn D, Sandersen C, Deleuze S, Grulke S.Although rarely fatal, complications of ventral midline laparotomy incision in equine patients increase hospitalization cost and duration and may jeopardize return to athletic function. Therefore, many techniques have been developed to reduce their occurrence and expedite their resolution when they occur. Our technique of celiotomy incision closure includes the use of tension sutures (vertical U mattress) of polyglactin 910 on the linea alba, which is then apposed by polyglactin 910 interrupted sutures or a simple continuous pattern suture with a stop midway before routine closure of the super...
May A, Gerhards H, Wollanke B.During hospitalization horses may develop gastrointestinal conditions triggered by a stress-associated weak local immune system. The prospective, clinical trial was conducted to find out whether fecal immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentrations could be determined in hospitalized horses and how they changed during hospitalization and in response to various stressors. Samples were obtained from 110 horses and a control group (n = 14). At arrival in the hospital, horses were categorized into pain grades (1-5), and elective versus strenuous surgery (> 2 hours, traumatic and emergency procedures). Feces...
Mannini A, Ellero N, Urbani L, Balboni A, Imposimato I, Battilani M, Gialletti R, Freccero F.A 17-year-old mare presenting with acute fever, weakness and bladder dysfunction was diagnosed with equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). The mare become transiently recumbent, underwent parenteral fluid therapy, plasma infusion, steroidal/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (SAID/NSAIDs) and bladder catheterization. After 10 days the mare was hospitalized. Neurological evaluation revealed ataxia and proprioceptive deficits mainly in the hind limbs. The mare was able to stand but unable to rise from recumbency or walk. Secondary complications included Escherichia coli cystitis, cornea...
Woodman MJ, MacKenzie J, Osinchuk S, Husulak M.A 20-year-old quarter horse gelding was presented for routine dental examination. Periodontal disease and luxation of tooth 108 was diagnosed and oral extraction was planned. After an unsuccessful blind maxillary nerve block, it was elected to perform the procedure under total intravenous anesthesia. Following recovery, a focal superficial corneal ulcer, severe retrobulbar swelling, mild exophthalmos, and marked swelling and prolapse of the third eyelid (nictitating membrane) were observed. Clinical signs persisted beyond 48 h despite the use of systemic anti-inflammatories and topical ocular ...
Miklavcic M, Dechant JE, Kilcoyne I.To determine breed, age, and sex predispositions for fecalith obstruction and to evaluate short-term survival and prognostic factors following surgical treatment of fecalith intestinal obstruction in equids. Methods: 151 equids. Methods: Medical records of equids undergoing surgery for fecalith obstruction from 2000 to 2020 were reviewed. Signalment, history, presenting clinicopathological data, surgical findings, complications, and short-term survival were recorded and compared between survivors and nonsurvivors. Signalment of the fecalith population was compared to a contemporaneous colic po...
Fortin-Trahan R, Sjolin E, Lack A, de Arbina CL, McFadden-Bennett A, Wang L, Baird JD, Rikihisa Y, Arroyo LG.Potomac horse fever (PHF) is characterized by fever, depression, anorexia, ileus, diarrhea, and occasionally, laminitis. The disease is caused by infection with and/or . Equids of all ages may be affected; however, the condition has not been well-characterized in foals. This report describes clinical signs, laboratory findings, and treatment of 2 foals diagnosed with PHF in southwestern Ontario. Feces submitted for an equine PCR panel tested positive for spp. and were subsequently confirmed to be (Case 1) and (Case 2). Both foals recovered following hospitalization and intensive care. Key ...
Kauter A, Brombach J, Lübke-Becker A, Kannapin D, Bang C, Franzenburg S, Stoeckle SD, Mellmann A, Scherff N, Köck R, Guenther S, Wieler LH....Horse clinics are hotspots for the accumulation and spread of clinically relevant and zoonotic multidrug-resistant bacteria, including extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing (ESBL) Enterobacterales. Although median laparotomy in cases of acute equine colic is a frequently performed surgical intervention, knowledge about the effects of peri-operative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) based on a combination of penicillin and gentamicin on the gut microbiota is limited. Unassigned: We collected fecal samples of horses from a non-hospitalized control group (CG) and from horses receiving either a pre-...
Jodzio D, DeNotta S, Plummer C, Sanchez C.Pain recognition in hospitalized horses is challenging, and the utility of pain scoring systems in horses with ocular disease has not been well-described. Objective: Evaluate the horse grimace scale (HGS) and behavior pain score (BPS) in hospitalized horses with ocular disease. We hypothesized that HGS and BPS would be associated with different clinical progressions. Methods: Privately owned horses hospitalized for ocular disease between September 2018 and September 2020. Methods: Retrospective observational study. The HGS and BPS were recorded daily throughout hospitalization. Clinical progre...
Sassot LN, Ragle C, Pentzke-Lemus L, Jones ARE, Farnsworth K.This retrospective case series describes the use of progressive urethral dilation in 22 client-owned male horses undergoing perineal urethrotomy (PU) for cystolith removal. Medical records of horses undergoing PU and urethral dilation for treatment of cystolithiasis were reviewed. Dilation of the pelvic urethra was performed following PU and using customized dilators with the same length (30cm) and with various outer diameters (25 to 45mm). Analyzed data included: signalment, cystolith size, renal ultrasound findings, method used for cystolith removal, diameter of urethral dilators, intra- and...
Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Stancari G, Conturba B, Bozzola C, Zucca E, Ferrucci F.In racehorses, the associations between physiological parameters obtained by exercise testing and racing results have been questioned. We hypothesized that fitness variables measured during a treadmill incremental test may be related with racing outcomes and lifetime career. Our study aimed to investigate the role of fitness parameters obtained during a treadmill test in performance evaluation and career prediction in poorly performing Standardbreds, through a retrospective review of the clinical records of 245 trotters that underwent an incremental treadmill test. Several fitness parameters w...
Leps A, Korsos S, Clarysse M, Vlaminck L.To document the long-term outcome of surgically treated primary and dental-related sinusitis in horses and to describe a simple protocol for postoperative management. All surgically treated sinusitis cases referred between January 2016 and June 2022 were reviewed. Cases diagnosed with primary and dental-related sinusitis and with a follow-up of at least 6 months after hospital discharge were included. Cases with other sinus pathology were excluded. 130 cases met the inclusion criteria. 104 out of 130 were treated with sinoscopy and 26/130 with sinusotomy. 86 out of 130 cases (66.2%) were diagn...
The Journal of traumaApril 7, 2007
Volume 62, Issue 3 735-739 doi: 10.1097/ta.0b013e318031b5d4
Mayberry JC, Pearson TE, Wiger KJ, Diggs BS, Mullins RJ.Equestrian injury is commonly seen at trauma centers and the severity of injury is often high. We sought to determine the risk, incidence, and the influence of skill and experience on injury during horse-related activity (HRA). Methods: Members of horse clubs and individual equestrians in a three-state region (Oregon, Washington, and Idaho) were recruited via mailings and community advertisements to take a survey regarding their horse contact time and injuries over their entire riding career. Serious injury (SI) was defined by hospitalization, surgery, or long-term disability. Results: There w...
Hultén C, Demmers S.Differentiation between infectious and noninfectious disease and rapid initiation of accurate treatment are essential in managing diseases in the neonatal and young foal. Identification of useful inflammatory markers for these purposes is, therefore, of great importance. The aim of this study was to compare the responses of the acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) with the responses of fibrinogen and total leucocyte and neutrophil counts in infectious diseases encountered in the young foal, and to assess whether SAA measurements give additional information useful in the management of thes...
Corley KT, Donaldson LL, Furr MO.Blood lactate concentration has been shown to be a useful clinical indicator in human patients, but has not been formally investigated in critically ill foals. Objective: To investigate the association of blood lactate with hospital survival, markers of cardiovascular status, metabolic acid base status, sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Methods: A database containing clinical, haematological, plasma biochemical and hospital outcome data on neonatal foals referred to an intensive care unit in 2000-2001 was analysed. Seventy-two foals for which arterial lactate was measu...
Cohen ND, Woods AM.To characterize horses with acute diarrhea and determine risk factors for failure to survive. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 122 adult horses admitted for acute diarrhea at the teaching hospital between Jan 1, 1990 and Dec 31, 1996. Methods: Medical records of horses with acute diarrhea were reviewed to abstract information regarding signalment, history, physical examination, clinicopathologic testing, treatment, and outcome. Results: 91 of 122 (74.6%) horses lived and were discharged from the hospital. Horses with history of administration of antimicrobials for a problem preceding dia...
Reuss SM, Chaffin MK, Cohen ND.To describe frequency, types, and clinical outcomes of extrapulmonary disorders (EPDs) in foals in which Rhodococcus equi infection was diagnosed, and to identify factors determined at the time of admission that differentiated foals that developed EPDs from foals with R equi infection identified only in the lungs. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 150 foals aged 3 weeks to 6 months with a diagnosis of R equi infection. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for information on date of admission, signalment, history, clinical signs, diagnostic testing, treatment, duration of hospitali...
Hackett ES, McCue PM.Glucose assessment and regulation are important factors in the treatment of hospitalized horses and foals. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare glucose measurement by a veterinary glucometer, adjusted by code for use in horses and foals, to a reference chemistry analyzer. It was hypothesized that the veterinary glucometer and reference analyzer would yield similar results and that interpretation of glucose values obtained from a veterinary glucometer would result in clinically appropriate decisions. Methods: Fifty blood samples from adult horses and 50 blood samples from neonata...
Copas VE, Durham AE.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a common endocrinopathy, frequently diagnosed via plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations. Seasonal variation in plasma ACTH concentrations has been described in normal horses prompting caution in diagnosing PPID at certain times of the year. The aims of this study were to determine appropriate reference intervals for equine plasma ACTH throughout the year; and to examine the circannual variation of plasma ACTH concentrations in PPID cases. Objective: Plasma ACTH can be used as a test for PPID throughout the year with the use of ...
Rivara FP.Examine the current magnitude of the injury problem to children and adolescents on farms, and to compare these data to that from 1978-83. Methods: US National Center for Health Statistics Mortality Multiple Cause of Death Tapes for the years 1991-3, and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for data on emergency department visits for 1990-3. Methods: Children and adolescents 19 years and younger injured on farms. Results: There were an average of 104 deaths per year due to injuries occurring on farms. The rate of 8.0 deaths per 100,000 child f...
McKinney CA, Bedenice D, Pacheco AP, Oliveira BCM, Paradis MR, Mazan M, Widmer G.Fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) is empirically implemented in horses with colitis to facilitate resolution of diarrhea. The purpose of this study was to assess FMT as a clinical treatment and modulator of fecal microbiota in hospitalized horses with colitis. A total of 22 horses with moderate to severe diarrhea, consistent with a diagnosis of colitis, were enrolled at two referral hospitals (L1: n = 12; L2: n = 10). FMT was performed in all 12 patients on 3 consecutive days at L1, while treatment at L2 consisted of standard care without FMT. Manure was collected once daily for 4 days fro...
Hollis AR, Furr MO, Magdesian KG, Axon JE, Ludlow V, Boston RC, Corley KT.Critical illness is associated with hyperglycemia in humans, and a greater degree and duration of hyperglycemia is associated with nonsurvival. Hypoglycemia is also seen in critically ill humans, and is associated with nonsurvival. This might also be true in the critically ill foal. Objective: To investigate the association of blood glucose concentrations with survival, sepsis, and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Methods: Blood glucose concentrations at admission (515 foals) and 24 hours (159 foals), 36 hours (95), 48 hours (82), and 60 hours (45) after admission were analy...
Johnston K, Holcombe SJ, Hauptman JG.To determine the relationship between plasma lactate concentration and colonic viability and survival in horses with >or=360 degrees volvulus of the ascending colon. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Horses (n=73) with >or=360 degrees volvulus of the ascending colon. Methods: Medical records (January 2000-November 2005) of all horses examined for colic at Michigan State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital were reviewed. Horses were included only if plasma lactate concentration was measured preoperatively and a diagnosis of >or=360 degrees volvulus of the ascending colon was c...
The Journal of traumaApril 26, 2000
Volume 48, Issue 4 740-744 doi: 10.1097/00005373-200004000-00025
Norwood S, McAuley C, Vallina VL, Fernandez LG, McLarty JW, Goodfried G.Injuries from encounters with large animals represent a significant health risk for rural communities. We evaluated our regional trauma centers' experience with large-animal injuries to determine whether certain mechanisms and patterns of injury predicted either major head/craniofacial or torso (chest/abdomen/pelvis) trauma. Methods: The hospital courses of 145 patients with injuries related to large animals were reviewed retrospectively to determine patterns of injury, specific injury mechanisms, species-specific injuries, and predictors of multiple body region trauma. Results: Seventy-nine p...
Castagnetti C, Pirrone A, Mariella J, Mari G.The use of blood lactate concentration as an indicator of prognosis and disease severity has become a common practice in equine medicine, especially with the validation of handheld analyzers. However, few authors described lactate concentration in critically ill foals, and there are no published studies about the use of handheld analyzers in neonatal foals. In this study, for the first time in the equine neonate, we validated the Lactate Scout analyzer, both in healthy and in critically ill foals. The study also describes the normal range for blood lactate in 26 healthy neonatal foals during t...
Sorli JM.To determine the demographics of hospital admissions and mortality associated with equestrian activities in the 33,000 riders in British Columbia (BC). Methods: Analysis of admission data from the Ministry of Health for the years 1991-96, review of information obtained from the Office of the Chief Coroner, and comparison of data from Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program. Results: The mean number of admissions per year was 390. Head injury was the most common cause of admission to hospital (20%) in BC. Females most often required admission (62%). Teenagers and children hav...
Hartmann FA, Trostle SS, Klohnen AA.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was isolated from a postoperative wound infection in a horse. Methicillin-resistant S aureus infections in animals have been reported. In human beings, MRSA is an important cause of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections. Infections caused by MRSA respond poorly to beta-lactam treatment, and resistance of MRSA to multiple antimicrobials, including aminoglycosides, macrolides, clindamycin, and tetracyclines, is common. Identification of MRSA by routine susceptibility testing may be difficult; therefore, techniques for MRSA detection should b...
Cuny C, Kuemmerle J, Stanek C, Willey B, Strommenger B, Witte W.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has become an emerging public health problem worldwide, no longer only associated with healthcare-associated infections. With the exception of some recent reports concerning infections in cats, dogs and horses, infections with MRSA in companion animals have been infrequently reported. Here we submit findings for MRSA infections in horses in a central European university hospital.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an emerging problem in horses; however, the epidemiology of infection and colonization is poorly understood. This study evaluated factors associated with MRSA colonization at the time of admission to a veterinary teaching hospital. A case-control study evaluating historical factors was performed. Previous colonization of the horse, previous identification of colonized horses on the farm, antimicrobial administration within 30 days, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, and admission to a service other than the surgical service were...
Abu-Zidan FM, Rao S.Horse riding and handling are uniquely dangerous. Knowledge of the risk factors of horse-related injuries is essential to prevent them. We aimed to define the factors that affect the severity of horse-related injuries and the length of hospital stay. A number of 231 patients (136 females and 95 males) with horse-related injuries were studied. A generalized linear model was used to test the effect of age, sex, cause of injury, complexity of the mechanism of injury, year, place of injury and profession of the injured, on the injury severity score (ISS) and the hospital stay. Fall from a horse wa...
León CA.The purpose of this study was the identification of possible sequelae of the infection of human individuals with Virus of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE). Special emphasis was laid on exploring neurological, psychological and behavioural aspects and particularly on the search for a possible association of the disease with epileptic phenomena, brain damage and/or mental deficiency. A four-year period of observation was conducted on a sample of children from El Carmelo (Colombia) where an epidemic of VEE took place in 1967. A group of seven children who presented the encephalitic type of th...
Giguère S, Jacks S, Roberts GD, Hernandez J, Long MT, Ellis C.The objective of this retrospective study was to compare the efficacy of azithromycin-rifampin, clarithromycin-rifampin, and erythromycin-rifampin for the treatment of pneumonia caused by Rhodococcus equi in foals. Eighty-one foals with naturally acquired pneumonia caused by R. equi were included in the study. Information on age, sex, breed, physical examination findings, laboratory testing, and thoracic radiography was abstracted from each medical record. Foals were divided in 3 groups based on the antimicrobial agent selected for therapy. Short-term (discharge from the hospital) and long-ter...
Phillips TJ, Walmsley JP.Of 149 horses that underwent 151 exploratory laparotomies for gastrointestinal disorders from September 1987 to May 1991, 107 (72%) were discharged from the hospital: 100 (66%) survived for > 7 months, 94 of which returned to their intended use. Survival rate (64/80) for horses with caecum/large colon obstruction was significantly (P = 0.003) higher than for horses with small intestinal obstruction (33/64). Prolonged surgery was associated with significantly (P < 0.001) lower survival rates than short surgical time. In the large intestine, survival rate (15/29) for strangulated obstructions wa...
Dunowska M, Morley PS, Traub-Dargatz JL, Hyatt DR, Dargatz DA.Objective-To evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility of commensal Escherichia coli strains isolated from the feces of horses and investigate relationships with hospitalization and antimicrobial drug (AMD) administration. Design-Observational study. Animals-68 hospitalized horses that had been treated with AMDs for at least 3 days (HOSP-AMD group), 63 hospitalized horses that had not received AMDs for at least 4 days (HOSP-NOAMD group), and 85 healthy horses that had not been hospitalized or treated with AMDs (community group). Procedures-Fecal samples were submitted for bacterial culture, and up...
Richardson JS, Parrera GS, Astacio H, Sahota H, Anderson DM, Hall C, Babinchak T.Botulism is a rare, life-threatening paralytic illness. Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent (A,B,C,D,E,F,G)-(Equine) (BAT) manufactured by Emergent BioSolutions Canada Inc is an equine-derived heptavalent botulinum antitoxin product indicated for the treatment of symptomatic botulism following documented or suspected exposure to botulinum neurotoxin serotypes A-G in adults and pediatric patients. BAT product was US-licensed in 2013. In the United States, from October 2014 through July 2017, safety and clinical outcomes data were collected under a registry for patients treated with BAT product. Regi...
Guyton K, Houchen-Wise E, Peck E, Mayberry J.Horse-related injury can be severe and disabling. We investigated the causes, severity, and costs of equestrian injury with the goal of injury prevention. A retrospective review of horse-related injuries from 2001 to 2008 identified 231 patients with a mean age of 38 years and a mean Injury Severity Score of 11 (range, 1 to 45). Mean length of stay was 5.5 days. Fifty-nine patients (25%) required 84 surgeries. Helmet use was 20 per cent and of the 172 patients not wearing a helmet while mounted, 38 per cent received potentially preventable head injuries. There were three deaths of which two we...
Lloyd RG.All horse-related injuries presenting to an Accident Service over a two-year period were investigated. 237 patients presented. The injuries were not considerable in absolute number but were in severity. There was a high morbidity with 22% of all patients requiring admission to hospital, 50% of all admissions because of head injuries. At least seven life-threatening injuries were identified and there were other severe pelvic and spinal injuries. The wearing of protective head gear remains the most important safety measure.
British medical journalSeptember 8, 1973
Volume 3, Issue 5879 532-534 doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5879.532
Barber HM.Horse-riding is increasing in popularity. During 1971 and 1972 154 patients had horse-related injuries of sufficient severity to warrant admission to the Radcliffe Infirmary. The injuries sustained are more common and more severe than generally appreciated and are comparable to those sustained by motor-cyclists. Supervision of children is often insufficient and protective leg and head gear is commonly quite inadequate, even when worn.
Barr BS, Waldridge BM, Morresey PR, Reed SM, Clark C, Belgrave R, Donecker JM, Weigel DJ.Although antimicrobial-associated diarrhoea (AAD) is the most frequently observed adverse effect of antimicrobial therapy in horses, few multicentred studies on the prevalence of AAD have been performed. Objective: To determine the prevalence of AAD in horses that developed diarrhoea after antimicrobial treatment for nondiarrhoeic conditions and identify the antimicrobials used. Methods: The 2009 database of 3 referral hospitals was searched to identify nonhospitalised horses (weanling age or older) treated with antimicrobials for nongastrointestinal conditions. Horses with these criteria that...
Sanchez LC, Giguère S, Lester GD.To identify factors associated with short-term survival in bacteremic neonatal foals, evaluate the racing performance of Thoroughbred survivors, and evaluate changes in causative organisms and their antimicrobial susceptibility. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 423 bacteremic foals. Methods: Medical records of foals that were hospitalized in 1982 through 2007 were reviewed, and those with bacteremia were included in the study. Data retrieved included signalment, physical examination and clinicopathologic findings at admission, localized infections, concurrent illnesses, duration of...
Freeman DE, Hammock P, Baker GJ, Goetz T, Foreman JH, Schaeffer DJ, Richter RA, Inoue O, Magid JH.The records of 74 horses that recovered from anaesthesia after surgery for a small intestinal lesion from 1994 to 1999 were reviewed. Sixty-three horses (85%) had a strangulating lesion and 43 of these (68%) had a resection and anastomosis. Four of 11 horses (36%) without a strangulating lesion had a resection and anastomosis. Sixty-three horses (85%) survived to discharge, with a survival rate of 53/63 in horses with a strangulating lesion (84%) and 10/11 (91%) in others. For all lesions, short-term survival for all end-to-end anastomoses (91%; 21/23) and for no resection (92%; 23/25) were su...
Kim LM, Morley PS, Traub-Dargatz JL, Salman MD, Gentry-Weeks C.To evaluate factors potentially associated with fecal Salmonella shedding among equine patients hospitalized for colic at a veterinary teaching hospital and to determine the effects of probiotic treatment on fecal Salmonella shedding and clinical signs. Methods: Longitudinal study and controlled trial. Methods: 246 equine colic patients. Methods: History and medical information were obtained from patient records. Fecal and environmental samples were submitted for aerobic bacterial culture for Salmonella enterica. Fifty-one patients were treated with a commercially available probiotic; 46 were ...
