Effects of antitussive agents administered before bronchoalveolar lavage in horses.

The research article is about a study investigating the efficacy of various antitussive, or cough-suppressing, agents given to horses before a procedure called bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). The most effective substance at reducing cough frequency and intensity was found to be lidocaine administered directly into the horse’s windpipe.

Methodology

• The study involved eight healthy horses. Over the course of six weeks, each horse underwent a standard BAL procedure weekly.
• The horses were sedated with detomidine and treated with different antitussive agents including saline solution, codeine, butorphanol tartrate, glycopyrrolate, and lidocaine hydrochloride at two different concentrations.
• The horse’s cough frequency and intensity were digitally recorded during the BAL procedure. The volume of the BAL fluid collected and its composition were also measured.

Results

• The findings showed that the intratracheal, or through the windpipe, administration of lidocaine with a final concentration of 0.66% notably reduced coughing frequency and intensity.
• The intravenous administration of butorphanol also significantly reduced the intensity of coughing.
• All other treatments, including the control treatment (saline solution), failed to affect coughing frequency and intensity measurably.
• Glycopyrrolate caused observable negative clinical effects.
• The volume of the BAL fluid collected and its composition remained unaffected by the various treatments.

Conclusions

• From their findings, the researchers concluded that intratracheal administration of lidocaine at a final concentration of 0.66% is the most reliable method to reduce both frequency and intensity of coughing in horses during a BAL procedure.