Intravenous continuous infusion of lidocaine for treatment of equine ileus.

The article is a scientific investigation of the use of continuous intravenous infusion of lidocaine for the treatment of horse ileus, a condition of the digestive system known as ‘equine ileus’. The research demonstrates that such treatment is both effective and safe.

Research Methods and Participants

This study was a prospective double-blinded placebo-controlled trial, a method providing robust evidence for or against a treatment because neither the researchers nor the participants know who receives the drug and who receives the placebo.

The participants were 32 horses diagnosed with postoperative ileus (POI) or enteritis – conditions causing a lack of movement in the intestines that normally help to clear out contents. The selected horses had either refluxed more than 20 litres or had been refluxing for over 24 hours. Refluxing in this context refers to the process where the stomach’s contents flow back into the esophagus due to the lack of normal bowel movements.

Procedure and Evaluation

Horses in the study were administered either lidocaine (a local anesthetic and antiarrhythmic drug) at a designated dosage or a saline solution placebo for 24 hours. The variables evaluated throughout the trial included volume and duration of reflux, first fecal passage time, pain signs, analgesic use, heart rate and arrhythmias, respiratory rate, temperature, length of hospital stays, survival outcomes, and any complications.

Results and Findings

The results demonstrated a quicker and more common resolution of reflux in horses treated with lidocaine than those receiving the saline placebo. Fecal passage was closely associated with response to treatment, with horses that responded to lidocaine passing faeces within 16 hours of starting the infusion. Lidocaine treatment further resulted in a reduction of hospitalization time for surviving horses and no significant changes in other physical or laboratory variables. Incidence rates of other complications were also not different in the lidocaine group. Of those treated with lidocaine, three horses (18%) experienced muscle fasciculations, a minor side effect involving involuntary muscle contractions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the use of intravenous lidocaine significantly improved medical outcomes for horses with ileus, with minimal side effects. Consequently, the study recommends considering lidocaine infusion as a safe and efficient treatment method for equine ileus. However, the minor occurrence of muscle fasciculations calls for future research to minimise any potential side effects during treatment.