Intraosseous regional perfusion for treatment of septic physitis in a two-week-old foal.

This research presents the successful treatment of a two-week-old foal diagnosed with septic physitis, employing intraosseous regional perfusion and systemic antimicrobials. The foal made quick recovery contrary to the typically low prognosis for such cases.

Treatment Procedure

• The two-week-old Morgan filly presented with a case of lameness that had been apparent for five days. Through clinical and radiographic examination, the foal was diagnosed with septic physitis affecting the distal end of the radius.
• For treatment, the medical team employed a regimen that combined intraosseous regional perfusion with penicillin and amikacin, alongside systemic administration of antimicrobials.

Intraosseous Regional Perfusion

• Intraosseous regional perfusion was applied three times to the afflicted foal.
• The process involves the administration of medication, in this case, penicillin and amikacin, directly into the bone marrow. This is seen as an effective approach to deliver high concentrations of antimicrobial agents to the target area in the bone.
• For the first procedure, the foal was placed under anesthesia, while the subsequent two procedures were performed under sedation.

Systemic Administration of Antimicrobials

• Alongside the regional perfusion, the foal was also given antimicrobials systemically – that is, distributed throughout the body – for a period of 22 days.
• Systemic administration is a supplementary treatment approach that serves to ensure the complete eradication of the infection, not only in the localized area of the physitis but also in the rest of the foal’s system.

Result and Implication

• Despite the usual guarded to poor prognosis associated with cases of septic physitis in foals, the treatment regimen demonstrated its efficacy by facilitating a relatively quick and complication-free recovery from infection for this particular foal.
• The findings from this study, consequently, highlight the potential of the combination of intraosseous regional perfusion with systemic antimicrobial administration in enhancing the prognosis and treatment of septic physitis in young foals.