Comparison of clinical findings and short-term survival between horses with intestinal entrapment in the gastrosplenic ligament and horses with intestinal entrapment in the epiploic foramen.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE To compare clinical findings and short-term outcome for horses with intestinal entrapment in the gastrosplenic ligament (GLE) with those of horses with intestinal entrapment in the epiploic foramen (EFE). DESIGN Retrospective case-control study. ANIMALS 43 horses with GLE (cases) and 73 horses with EFE (controls). PROCEDURES Medical records of horses examined because of colic at a veterinary teaching hospital between 1992 and 2012 were reviewed. Signalment was extracted from medical records for all horses with colic (colic population), and additional information regarding colic history, clinical findings, treatments, and outcome was extracted from the records of horses in which GLE or EFE was diagnosed during surgery or necropsy. Signalment was compared between the colic population and the case and control populations. Clinical findings and short-term outcome were compared between the cases and controls. RESULTS The proportions of middle-aged horses and geldings in both the case and control groups were greater than those in the colic population. Mean heart rate and blood and peritoneal fluid lactate concentrations in horses with EFE were significantly greater than those for horses with GLE. The proportion of horses that underwent surgery and were discharged from the hospital (short-term survival rate) did not differ between the GLE (22/25 [88%]) and EFE (29/34 [85%]) groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Compared with the colic population, results suggested middle-aged geldings might be predisposed to GLE and EFE. The short-term survival rate was similar between the GLE and EFE groups even though horses with EFE had more severe systemic derangements than did horses with GLE.
Publication Date: 2016-09-02 PubMed ID: 27585104DOI: 10.2460/javma.249.6.660Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
Summary
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This research paper analyzes clinical findings and short-term survival rates in horses suffering from two types of intestinal entrapment: gastrosplenic ligament (GLE) and epiploic foramen (EFE). The study, conducted retrospectively, found that middle-aged geldings may be more prone to these conditions and that while the severity of symptoms was higher in EFE, survival rates were similar for both conditions.
Study Design and Population
- The study was retrospective, using case-control methodology.
- It included 43 horses with GLE (cases) and 73 horses with EFE (controls)
- Data were collected from medical records of horses examined for colic at a veterinary teaching hospital over two decades (1992-2012).
- The data collected included information relating to the horse’s breed, age, sex, and the specific symptoms and treatment details related to their EFE or GLE.
Key Findings
- The study observed a higher proportion of middle-aged geldings (neutered male horses) in both GLE and EFE groups compared to the wider colic population, suggesting these may be at higher risk for these conditions.
- Horses with EFE had significantly higher heart rates and blood and peritoneal fluid lactate concentrations compared to those with GLE, indicating more severe systemic illness.
- The short-term survival rates – the proportion of horses who underwent surgery and were then discharged from the hospital – were similar for GLE and EFE. For GLE it was 88% (22 out of 25 horses) and for EFE it was 85% (29 out of 34 horses).
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance
- The study concludes that middle-aged geldings might be more predisposed to both GLE and EFE compared to the wider population of horses with colic.
- Despite EFE horses experiencing more severe clinical symptoms than GLE horses, their short-term survival rates following surgery are almost identical.
- This research provides valuable insights into the management of these health conditions in equine populations and may help in developing strategies to improve survival rates and overall healthcare for horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Kilcoyne I, Dechant JE, Nieto JE.
(2016).
Comparison of clinical findings and short-term survival between horses with intestinal entrapment in the gastrosplenic ligament and horses with intestinal entrapment in the epiploic foramen.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 249(6), 660-667.
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.249.6.660 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Case-Control Studies
- Female
- Horse Diseases / mortality
- Horse Diseases / surgery
- Horses
- Intestinal Obstruction / mortality
- Intestinal Obstruction / surgery
- Intestinal Obstruction / veterinary
- Intestine, Small / pathology
- Intestine, Small / surgery
- Ligaments / pathology
- Ligaments / surgery
- Male
- Postoperative Complications / veterinary
- Retrospective Studies
- Survival Analysis
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Bishop RC, Gutierrez-Nibeyro SD, Stewart MC, McCoy AM. Performance of predictive models of survival in horses undergoing emergency exploratory laparotomy for colic.. Vet Surg 2022 Aug;51(6):891-902.
- Salcedo R, Gomez DE, Krueger E, Koenig J. Incarceration of the small intestine through a rent in the ileocecal fold in a horse.. Can Vet J 2019 May;60(5):477-479.
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