Evaluation of the risk of incisional infection in horses following application of protective dressings after exploratory celiotomy for treatment of colic.

This research study investigates the infection rates in horses after exploratory celiotomy for colic with three different types of wound dressings. Inferentially, the study shows that wounds covered with sterile towels or dressings infused with polyhexamethylene biguanide and secured with sutures have a lower risk of infection compared to those covered with gauze and secured with iodine-impregnated adhesive drapes.

Research Setup

• The study was set up as a prospective, randomized, controlled study involving 85 horses. The aim was to evaluate the incidence of incisional infection in horses following management with one of the three protective dressings after performing an exploratory celiotomy for colic treatment.
• The horses were divided into three groups. Group 1 had their incisions covered with a sterile cotton towel. Group 2 had incisions covered with a dress dressing infused with polyhexamethylene biguanide. Lastly, Group 3 had incisions covered with sterile gauze and secured with an iodine-impregnated adhesive drape.
• To ensure standardized measurements, demographic and clinicopathologic data, intraoperative and postoperative variables, and development of complications were recorded and later compared among the three groups.

Results and Findings

• The study was completed by 75 horses with findings indicating that dressing displacement, leading to its removal during anesthetic recovery, was quite common in group 3. This was not the case for groups 1 and 2, where the dressings stayed in place for an average of 44 and 31 hours respectively.
• Incisional discharge, an indicator of infection, was found in 15% of the horses. A breakdown of the groups revealed that instances of infection were predominately present in group 3, accounting for 9 out of the 11 infection cases.
• The odds of experiencing incisional complications, and thus infections, were significantly higher for group 3 compared to groups 1 and 2.

Conclusion

• The research results suggest that the risk of infection in horses after celiotomy for colic treatment was lower when sterile towels or polyhexamethylene biguanide-infused dressings secured with sutures were used in comparison to when sterile gauze secured with iodine-impregnated adhesive drapes were used.