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Administration of perioperative penicillin reduces postoperative serum amyloid A response in horses being castrated standing.
Abstract: To compare postoperative inflammatory responses in horses administered perioperative procaine penicillin and those not administered penicillin using acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) as a marker of inflammation. Methods: Randomized clinical trial. Methods: Stallions (n=50) castrated under field conditions. Methods: SAA concentrations were determined on days 0, 3, and 8. Six horses were subsequently excluded because of elevated SAA concentrations on day 0. Of the remaining 50 horses, 26 were administered nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy and 24 were administered NSAID and 25,000 U/kg procaine penicillin on day 0, 1, and 2. Results: SAA concentrations increased significantly from preoperative levels in both groups, and on day 8 concentrations were significantly (P<.02) higher in horses administered only NSAID than in those administered procaine penicillin and NSAID. Infectious complications occurred more frequently (P<.01) in horses with preoperatively elevated SAA concentrations (the excluded horses) than in horses with normal preoperative SAA concentrations (the included horses). Conclusions: Perioperative antimicrobial therapy reduced the postoperative SAA response, suggesting that bacteria were present in the surgical wound and contributed to inflammation after castration. Horses with elevated preoperative SAA concentrations developed infectious complications more often than horses with normal preoperative SAA concentrations. Conclusions: Administration of antimicrobials may be important in horses being castrated standing under field conditions. Increased SAA concentrations seem to be an indicator of increased surgical risk in horses and may be useful before elective surgery for planning.
Publication Date: 2010-04-29 PubMed ID: 20459482DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-950X.2010.00704.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Randomized Controlled Trial
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research study focused on the effects of giving horses penicillin before surgery to reduce post-operation inflammation as indicated by the acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA). It found that horses that received penicillin showed fewer signs of inflammation and surgical complications as compared to those only given anti-inflammatory medication.
Methods
- The researchers carried out a randomized clinical trial on 50 stallions that were to be castrated.
- SAA levels were measured on the 0, 3rd and 8th day post-surgery. Six horses that showed elevated SAA concentrations before the surgery were excluded from the study.
- Of the remaining 50 stallions, 26 were administered non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy and 24 were given both NSAID and 25,000 U/kg procaine penicillin over the first three days after the surgery.
Results
- SAA levels increased noticeably from their pre-surgical levels in both groups.
- By the 8th day after the surgery, horses that had only received NSAID therapy showed significantly higher SAA levels, thus indicating higher inflammation, as compared to horses that were given both penicillin and NSAID therapy (P<.02).
- Horses that had had higher SAA concentrations pre-surgery (the six excluded horses) exhibited more infectious complications than those with normal pre-surgery SAA levels.
Conclusion
- The postoperative SAA response was reduced when applying perioperative antimicrobial therapy, leading to the speculation that bacteria were present in the surgical wound which contributed to postoperative inflammation.
- Horses with elevated preoperative SAA concentrations were more prone to developing infectious complications post-operation than horses with normal preoperative SAA concentrations.
- The administration of antimicrobials could be significant for horses being castrated standing under field conditions.
- Increased SAA concentrations could potentially be an indicator of increased surgical risk in horses, thus it could be useful in surgical planning for the elective surgery of horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Busk P, Jacobsen S, Martinussen T.
(2010).
Administration of perioperative penicillin reduces postoperative serum amyloid A response in horses being castrated standing.
Vet Surg, 39(5), 638-643.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-950X.2010.00704.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Skjern Aa Veterinary Clinic, Skjern, Denmark.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibiotic Prophylaxis / methods
- Antibiotic Prophylaxis / veterinary
- Horses / surgery
- Male
- Orchiectomy / adverse effects
- Orchiectomy / methods
- Orchiectomy / veterinary
- Penicillin G Procaine / therapeutic use
- Perioperative Care / veterinary
- Postoperative Period
- Posture
- Serum Amyloid A Protein / analysis
- Surgical Wound Infection / prevention & control
- Surgical Wound Infection / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Tyrnenopoulou P, Flouraki E, Folias L, Loukopoulos E, Starras A, Chalvatzis P, Tsioli V, Mavrogianni VS, Fthenakis GC. Complications Following Orchiectomy in Stallions in Field Conditions: Descriptive Results and Predictors in a Study of 612 Cases. Animals (Basel) 2026 Jan 21;16(2).
- Hardefeldt L, Thomas K, Page S, Norris J, Browning G, El Hage C, Stewart A, Gilkerson J, Muscatello G, Verwilghen D, van Galen G, Bauquier J, Cuming R, Reynolds B, Whittaker C, Wilkes E, Clulow J, Burden C, Begg L. Antimicrobial prescribing guidelines for horses in Australia. Aust Vet J 2025 Dec;103(12):781-889.
- Sidwell AE, Duz M, Khan A, Bodnàr R, Hole SL. Effect of Simple Oral Dental Extraction on Systemic Serum Amyloid A Concentrations in Horses. Vet Med Sci 2024 Nov;10(6):e70104.
- Laves J, Wergin M, Bauer N, Müller SF, Failing K, Büttner K, Hagen A, Melzer M, Röcken M. The effect of Traumeel LT ad us. vet. on the perioperative inflammatory response after castration of stallions: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1342345.
- Jacobs RD, Grum D, Trible B, Ayala DI, Karnezos TP, Gordon ME. Oral probiotic administration attenuates postexercise inflammation in horses. Transl Anim Sci 2024;8:txae124.
- Thurston CC, Stefanovski D, MacKinnon MC, Chapman HS, Richardson DW, Levine DG. Serum amyloid A and fibrinogen as markers for early detection of surgical site infection associated with internal fixation in the horse. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:960865.
- Small A, Fisher AD, Lee C, Colditz I. Analgesia for Sheep in Commercial Production: Where to Next?. Animals (Basel) 2021 Apr 14;11(4).
- Long A, Nolen-Walston R. Equine Inflammatory Markers in the Twenty-First Century: A Focus on Serum Amyloid A. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2020 Apr;36(1):147-160.
- Jacobsen S, Vinther AM, Kjelgaard-Hansen M, Nielsen LN. Validation of an equine serum amyloid A assay with an unusually broad working range. BMC Vet Res 2019 Dec 19;15(1):462.
- Stack JD, Cousty M, Steele E, Handel I, Lechartier A, Vinardell T, David F. Comparison of Serum Amyloid A Measurements in Equine Synovial Fluid With Routine Diagnostic Methods to Detect Synovial Infection in a Clinical Environment. Front Vet Sci 2019;6:325.
- Tothova C, Mihajlovicova X, Novotny J, Nagy O, Giretova M, Kresakova L, Tomco M, Zert Z, Vilhanova Z, Varga M, Medvecky L, Petrovova E. The Serum Protein Profile and Acute Phase Proteins in the Postoperative Period in Sheep after Induced Articular Cartilage Defect. Materials (Basel) 2019 Jan 3;12(1).
- Haltmayer E, Schwendenwein I, Licka TF. Course of serum amyloid A (SAA) plasma concentrations in horses undergoing surgery for injuries penetrating synovial structures, an observational clinical study. BMC Vet Res 2017 May 22;13(1):137.
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