Nasogastric Intubation as Health and Safety Risk in Equine Practice-A Questionnaire.

The article explores the potential health and safety risks attached to the use of nasogastric intubation in equine veterinary practice, highlighting that it could be particularly harmful if veterinarians use their mouth to manipulate the tube. Data collected from a survey reveals significant risks which could lead to serious health issues for the vets, such as lipoid pneumonitis – a type of lung inflammation.

Survey Results

• Researchers conducted an online questionnaire survey, which had responses from 123 practicing equine veterinarians disclosing their experiences and practices with nasogastric intubation.
• A vast majority of the participants confessed that they often handle the end of the nasogastric tube with their mouth, either by sucking or blowing air into it. This has resulted in instances where they accidentally swallowed or aspirated stomach contents or medications intended for the horse.
• This practice is potentially dangerous as it could lead to aspiration pneumonia or pneumonitis – conditions caused by breathing in foreign materials into the lungs.

The Danger of Mineral Oil

• Mineral oil was pegged as particularly harmful. Aspiration of this substance may initially show no symptoms but later develop into lipoid pneumonitis, a type of lung inflammation caused by lipids like oils.

Disease Transmission

• About 60% of the responding veterinarians admitted to continuing this risky practice even when treating horses presenting with fever and diarrhea, or reflux formation. These conditions could be due to infections caused by bacteria like Salmonella or Clostridium difficile, potent toxin producers that may infect the attending veterinarian.
• The risk of infectious disease transmission is also increased due to the fact that nasogastric tubes are rarely disinfected in between uses.

Issue with Poisoning

• Roughly half of the participants said they would handle the tube with their mouth even when treating horses with suspected poisoning. An example of a particularly harmful substance given was zinc phosphide, a rodenticide. When broken down, it emits a highly toxic gas that if inhaled can cause severe health consequences like pulmonary edema and neurological symptoms in humans.

Alternatives and Awareness

• The article suggested considering alternatives to using the mouth for nasogastric intubation, such as using a lavage, large syringe or suction pump.
• It emphasized the need for increased awareness among veterinarians about the precise health and safety risks involved in nasogastric intubation in horses and the urgency to adopt safer practices.