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The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne2022; 63(4); 365-372;

Packed cell volume and heart rate to predict medical and surgical cases and their short-term survival in horses with gastrointestinal-induced colic.

Abstract: The objective of this prospective case-control study of 125 horses with gastrointestinal tract-induced colic was to determine whether heart rate (HR) and packed cell volume (PCV) can predict surgical medical treatment and its short-term survival (time of discharge of the patient). Sixty-four horses were treated medically and 61 surgically (29 small intestinal and 32 large intestinal cases). At admission, both PCV and HR were higher in horses treated surgically than in horses treated medically; however, with longer duration of colic before presentation, the PCV was higher in the small intestinal surgical group only. In addition, both PCV and HR were higher, and the duration of colic was longer in non-survivors compared to survivors. Binary logistic regression demonstrated a significant association between HR and type of treatment, and both HR and PCV were predictive of survival. Simple parameters such as HR and PCV provide useful information for management of colic cases. . L’objectif de cette étude prospective cas-témoins de 125 chevaux souffrant de coliques induites par le tractus gastro-intestinal était de déterminer si la fréquence cardiaque (HR) et l’hématocrite (PCV) peuvent prédire le traitement chirurgical par rapport au traitement médical et sa survie à court terme (temps de congé du patient). Soixante-quatre chevaux ont été traités médicalement et 61 chirurgicalement (29 cas d’intestin grêle et 32 cas de gros intestin). A l’admission, le PCV et le HR étaient plus élevés chez les chevaux traités chirurgicalement que chez les chevaux traités médicalement; cependant, avec une durée plus longue des coliques avant la présentation, le PCV était plus élevé uniquement dans le groupe de chirurgie de l’intestin grêle. De plus, le PCV et le HR étaient plus élevés, et la durée des coliques était plus longue chez les non-survivants que chez les survivants. La régression logistique binaire a démontré une association significative entre le HR et le type de traitement, et le HR et le PCV étaient tous deux prédictifs de la survie. Des paramètres simples tels que HR et PCV fournissent des informations utiles pour la gestion des cas de coliques.(Traduit par D Serge Messier).
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Publication Date: 2022-04-05 PubMed ID: 35368402PubMed Central: PMC8922377
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research study investigates whether heart rate (HR) and packed cell volume (PCV) in horses can be used to predict whether surgery or medical treatment is needed for gastrointestinal-induced colic, as well as short-term survival rates.

Research Context and Purpose

  • The research was conducted as a prospective case-control study on 125 horses suffering from gastrointestinal tract-induced colic. The intent was to establish whether two straightforward parameters – heart rate (HR) and packed cell volume (PCV) – could assist in predicting a need for surgical intervention versus medical treatment, along with their short-term survival rates, manifested as the time till discharge of the patient.

Participants and Treatment

  • Out of the total, 64 horses received medical treatment while 61 underwent surgical procedures. The surgical cases were further divided into small intestinal cases (29 horses) and large intestinal cases (32 horses) to offer more detailed insights and understanding of the situation.

Findings and Conclusion

  • Upon admission, both the HR and PCV were found to be higher in surgically-treated horses in comparison with those treated medically. However, for cases with a longer duration of colic before presentation, higher PCV was observed only in the small intestinal surgical group, indicating that the condition’s advancement may impact physical parameters in a surgery-specific manner.
  • Non-surviving horses also exhibited higher levels of HR and PCV and a longer duration of colic compared to surviving horses, suggesting poor prognosis associated with increased HR and PCV and prolonged colic periods.
  • The study employed binary logistic regression, which demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between patient heart rate and the chosen treatment methodology. Furthermore, both HR and PCV emerged as reliable predictors of survival, thus underscoring their relevance in managing colic cases and decision-making regarding their treatment.

Cite This Article

APA
Kos VK, Kramaric P, Brloznik M. (2022). Packed cell volume and heart rate to predict medical and surgical cases and their short-term survival in horses with gastrointestinal-induced colic. Can Vet J, 63(4), 365-372.

Publication

The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
ISSN: 0008-5286
NlmUniqueID: 0004653
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 63
Issue: 4
Pages: 365-372

Researcher Affiliations

Kos, Vesna Kadunc
  • University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty, Clinic for Breeding and Health Care of Horses, Gerbiceva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (Kos, Kramaric, Brloznik); University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty, Clinic for Small Animals, Gerbiceva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (Brloznik).
Kramaric, Petra
  • University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty, Clinic for Breeding and Health Care of Horses, Gerbiceva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (Kos, Kramaric, Brloznik); University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty, Clinic for Small Animals, Gerbiceva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (Brloznik).
Brloznik, Maja
  • University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty, Clinic for Breeding and Health Care of Horses, Gerbiceva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (Kos, Kramaric, Brloznik); University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty, Clinic for Small Animals, Gerbiceva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (Brloznik).

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cell Size
  • Colic / surgery
  • Colic / veterinary
  • Gastrointestinal Tract
  • Heart Rate
  • Horse Diseases / surgery
  • Horses

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Ruff J, Zetterstrom S, Boone L, Hofmeister E, Smith C, Epstein K, Blikslager A, Fogle C, Burke M. Retrospective analysis of postoperative complications following surgical treatment of ileal impaction in horses managed with manual decompression compared to jejunal enterotomy. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1156678.
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  3. Nocera I, Cingottini D, Di Franco C, Sala G, Bindi F, Spadari A, Rinnovati R, Vitale V, Jose-Cunilleras E, Sgorbini M. In-Depth Analysis of the Prognostic Factors Associated with Short-Term Outcome in Equine Colic Patients: Multicentric Retrospective Study. Animals (Basel) 2026 Feb 5;16(3).
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