Confidential enquiry into perioperative equine fatalities (CEPEF).

This research discusses an international study, the Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Equine Fatalities (CEPEF), aimed at investigating the high fatality rates in horses during the perioperative period. The study invites veterinarians who regularly anaesthetise horses for surgery to participate and contribute data, contributing to a greater understanding and potential reduction of these fatalities.

Objectives and Background of the Study

• The authors conveyed two primary purposes in their letter: to inform readers and interested parties of the CEPEF study and to invite veterinarians to participate.
• CEPEF-2 is a follow-up study to the first CEPEF. The earlier study investigated unexpected horse deaths within a week post-surgery and found a 0.9% fatality rate from a selection of 8,109 elective cases.
• The death rate in horses associated with general anesthesia is significantly higher compared to small animals and humans, which are usually at 0.15% and 0.01% respectively.

Implications and Contributions

• Previous studies that focused on collecting data from individual equine clinics were highly dependent on the specific conditions and circumstance of the given clinic, which results in a considerable degree of variability from the data.
• The CEPEF studies take a more internationally diverse approach, collecting data from a wide range of clinics to identify potential risk factors contributing to such high fatality rates.
• The authors assure that participating in the CEPEF-2 study requires minimal effort but provides an opportunity to yield maximum information that could contribute to reducing perioperative deaths.

Participants and Endorsements

• The study has global interest, with 168 clinics across numerous countries participating in the second phase.
• It has received official endorsements from institutions such as The American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists, the British Equine Veterinary Association, and the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists.

Funding and Participation Invitation

• The project gets its core funding from The Horserace Betting Levy Board and The Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust.
• Interested individuals or groups are invited to contact the study persons for further details and potential participation in CEPEF.