Parenteral nutrition for horses with gastrointestinal disease: a retrospective study of 79 cases.

The research article explores the benefits of parenteral nutrition (PN) in treating horses suffering from severe gastrointestinal disease. It is a retrospective study investigating the outcome and complications of 79 treatment courses, unable to conclusively establish the effect of PN due to the diverse range of diseases and variable clinical signs.

Objective of the Study

• The study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that parenteral nutrition (PN) is beneficial for horses with severe gastrointestinal diseases. The researchers delved into the archival records spanning from 1992 to 2000, to examine the results and complications derived from 79 treatment courses.

Key Findings

• Out of the 79 horses, the fatality rate came out to be 48.1%, a percentage which was attributed to the severity of the primary disease rather than the PN itself.
• The study found that hyperglycemia is the most common complication related to PN administration.
• The study highlighted interesting facts, such as nonsurvivors received more lipid emulsion and had a higher daily cost and more laparotomies as compared to survivors.
• It was observed that the duration of PN course was extended for surviving horses, while nonsurvivors exhibited a late glucose peak after initiating the treatment.
• Higher vitamin content in PN solution and higher plasma protein at the start were observed in survivors as compared to nonsurvivors who had a significantly larger volume of administered plasma.

Comparison Between Different Disease Groups

• Among horses with inflammatory diseases, the rate of glucose infusion and the amount of administered vitamins were higher than in horses with nonstrangulated obstruction.
• The proportion of horses receiving lipid emulsion was notably higher in the group with nonstrangulated and strangulated obstruction compared to those with inflammatory diseases.

Conclusions

• Due to the different types of diseases and varying clinical symptoms, a definitive conclusion on the direct impact of PN on the disease outcome could not be reached.
• The study concludes by highlighting the necessity of a prospective study that compares horses with similar clinical conditions, with and without PN treatment, to thoroughly evaluate the efficacy of PN and establish selection guidelines for patients.