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Plasma transfusions in horses with typhlocolitis/colitis.
Abstract: The outcome of treatment of horses with plasma for typhlocolitis/colitis at the Ontario Veterinary College-Health Sciences Centre was evaluated. Horses with typhlocolitis/colitis that received a plasma transfusion had higher odds of dying than did non-transfused horses. The clinical usefulness of transfusing plasma to hospitalized hypoproteinemic horses is questioned. . Les résultats du traitement des chevaux à l’aide de plasma pour la typhlocolite/colite au Health Sciences Centre de l’Ontario Veterinary College ont été évalués. Les chevaux atteints de typhlocolite/colite qui avaient reçu une transfusion de plasma présentaient une probabilité accrue de décès par rapport aux chevaux qui n’avaient pas reçu une transfusion. L’utilité clinique de la transfusion de plasma aux chevaux hypoprotéinémiques hospitalisés est remise en question.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).
Publication Date: 2019-02-02 PubMed ID: 30705457PubMed Central: PMC6340250 The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- 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.
This research evaluated the efficacy of treatment involving transfusion of plasma in horses suffering from typhlocolitis/colitis. It concluded that horses having received plasma transfusion were more likely to die than those that did not receive such treatment, hence questioning its clinical usefulness for hospitalised hypoproteinemic horses.
Introduction
Typhlocolitis or colitis in horses is an inflammation of the cecum and colon resulting in severe diarrhea. In an attempt to treat this condition, plasma transfusions are administered, particularly to hypoproteinemic horses, i.e., horses with low protein levels in the blood. The Ontario Veterinary College – Health Sciences Centre conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy of this treatment.
Methods
The study involved monitoring horses with this affliction, some of whom received a plasma transfusion while others did not.
- The horses’ conditions, response to treatment, and survival rates were documented and analyzed.
- The comparison sought to understand the correlation between the treatment and the survival odds of the horses.
Results
The results of the study showed unfavorable outcomes for the horses having undergone plasma transfusion.
- Horses that received plasma transfusion were found to have higher odds of dying than their non-transfused counterparts.
- This outcome poses significant concerns about the clinical usefulness of plasma transfusion in the treatment of colitis or typhlocolitis, especially in hypoproteinemic horses.
Implications
- The results of this study call into question the conventional wisdom concerning the effectiveness of plasma transfusion in treating typhlocolitis or colitis in horses.
- It emphasizes the need for reconsideration and further research regarding this treatment approach to improve the prognosis for horses suffering from these conditions.
- The findings underscore the importance of evidence-based treatments in veterinary medicine to promote animal health and welfare.
Cite This Article
APA
Arroyo LG, Sears W, Gomez DE.
(2019).
Plasma transfusions in horses with typhlocolitis/colitis.
Can Vet J, 60(2), 193-196.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Departments of Clinical Studies (Arroyo) and Population Medicine (Sears), Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1; Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA (Gomez).
- Departments of Clinical Studies (Arroyo) and Population Medicine (Sears), Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1; Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA (Gomez).
- Departments of Clinical Studies (Arroyo) and Population Medicine (Sears), Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1; Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA (Gomez).
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Blood Transfusion / veterinary
- Colitis / blood
- Colitis / mortality
- Colitis / therapy
- Colitis / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / blood
- Horse Diseases / mortality
- Horse Diseases / therapy
- Horses
- Male
- Ontario
- Plasma
- Survival Analysis
References
This article includes 13 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Gomez DE, Leclere M, Arroyo LG, Li L, John E, Afonso T, Payette F, Darby S. Acute diarrhea in horses: A multicenter Canadian retrospective study (2015 to 2019). Can Vet J 2022 Oct;63(10):1033-1042.
- Crabtree NE, Epstein KL. Current Concepts in Fluid Therapy in Horses. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:648774.
- Parra-Moyano LA, Cedeño A, Darby S, Johnson JP, Gomez DE. Blood and Peritoneal Lactate, Ratio and Difference, and Peritoneal Lactate to Total Solids Ratio for Detection of Intestinal Strangulating Obstructions in Horses. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Jul-Aug;39(4):e70121.
- Gomez DE, Kopper JJ, Byrne DP, Renaud DL, Schoster A, Dunkel B, Arroyo LG, Mykkanen A, Gilsenan WF, Pihl TH, Lopez-Navarro G, Tennent-Brown BS, Hostnik LD, Mora-Pereira M, Marques F, Gold JR, DeNotta SL, Desjardins I, Stewart AJ, Kuroda T, Schaefer E, Oliver-Espinosa OJ, Agne GF, Uberti B, Veiras P, Delph Miller KM, Gialleti R, John E, Toribio RE. Treatment approaches to horses with acute diarrhea admitted to referral institutions: A multicenter retrospective study. PLoS One 2024;19(11):e0313783.
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