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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2023; 13(22); doi: 10.3390/ani13223447

Analgesic Efficacy of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Therapy in Horses with Abdominal Pain: A Systematic Review.

Abstract: This systematic review aimed to identify the evidence concerning the analgesic efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to treat abdominal pain in horses, and to establish whether one non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug could provide better analgesia compared to others. This systematic review was conducted following the "Systematic Review Protocol for Animal Intervention Studies". Research published between 1985 and the end of May 2023 was searched, using three databases, namely, PubMed, Embase, and Scopus, using the words equine OR horse AND colic OR abdominal pain AND non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug AND meloxicam OR flunixin meglumine OR phenylbutazone OR firocoxib OR ketoprofen. Risk of bias was assessed with the SYRCLE risk of bias tool, and level of evidence scored according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine. A total of 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. From those only one study judged pain with a validated pain score, and a high risk of bias was identified due to the presence of selection, performance, and "other" types of bias. Therefore, caution is required in the interpretation of results from individual studies. To date, the evidence on analgesic efficacy to determine whether one drug is more potent than another regarding the treatment of abdominal pain in horses is sparse.
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Publication Date: 2023-11-08 PubMed ID: 38003065PubMed Central: PMC10668864DOI: 10.3390/ani13223447Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 paper systematically reviews the effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in relieving abdominal pain in horses, and also evaluates if one NSAID is more effective than others.

Methodology

  • The researchers carried out this systematic review following the rules outlined in the “Systematic Review Protocol for Animal Intervention Studies”.
  • They combed through research articles published between 1985 and May 2023. The search was carried out on three databases: PubMed, Embase, and Scopus.
  • The search terms used for this review were “equine OR horse AND colic OR abdominal pain AND non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug AND meloxicam OR flunixin meglumine OR phenylbutazone OR firocoxib OR ketoprofen.”

Assessment of Risk and Level of Evidence

  • The researchers assessed the risk of bias in the included studies using the SYRCLE (Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation) risk of bias tool.
  • The evidence level of the included studies was scored based on the criteria set by the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine.

Findings

  • Out of many, only 10 studies met the inclusion criteria set by the researchers.
  • Among those, only one used a validated pain score to assess pain levels in horses.
  • The researchers identified a high level of bias in the studies due to issues such as selection, performance, and “other” types of biases.
  • These biases necessitate a cautious approach in interpreting the results of the individual studies.

Conclusion

  • According to the research, current evidence regarding the analgesic efficacy of one NSAID over another in treating abdominal pain in horses is limited. In other words, it’s not yet clear if one drug is definitively more potent than another for this particular use-case.

For further and broader understanding, more clinical trials with less bias and more rigorous methods of pain assessment in horses are needed. The paper highlights the importance of this area of study, as abdominal pain (also known as colic) is a common and serious issue in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Citarella G, Heitzmann V, Ranninger E, Bettschart-Wolfensberger R. (2023). Analgesic Efficacy of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Therapy in Horses with Abdominal Pain: A Systematic Review. Animals (Basel), 13(22). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13223447

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 22

Researcher Affiliations

Citarella, Gerardo
  • Section of Anaesthesiology, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
Heitzmann, Vanessa
  • Section of Anaesthesiology, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
Ranninger, Elisabeth
  • Section of Anaesthesiology, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
Bettschart-Wolfensberger, Regula
  • Section of Anaesthesiology, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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