Prevalence of intra-abdominal hypertension in horses with colic.
Abstract: To determine an abdominal pressure cutoff value for intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) in the horse and characterize IAH in horses with acute colic. Methods: Prospective clinical cohort. Methods: University teaching hospital. Methods: Nine healthy adult horses and 56 horses with acute colic. Methods: Ventral intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) was measured in triplicate at end expiration and averaged. Each colic case was classified as medical or surgical and large intestine (LI) or small intestine (SI). Management and final outcome (alive, euthanized, or died) were recorded. IAH was defined as ≥32 mm Hg (mean + 2 SDs of ventral IAP in control horses). Proportions of horses with and without IAH for different lesions were expressed as fractions and percentages. Differences in IAP between groups were determined using ANOVA with post-testing or t-tests. Odds ratio for management strategy (ie, need for medical or surgical) in horses with IAH was performed using Fisher's exact test. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: IAP was higher in horses with colic compared to controls (P = 0.025). Over 18 months, 30.4% of horses with colic had IAH (n = 10 LI lesions, n = 7 SI lesions). Horses with LI medical lesions had the highest IAP of all lesions (mean 36.5 mm Hg). IAH horses with medical lesions were 15 times more likely to survive than IAH horses requiring surgery (P = 0.03). Conclusions: Acute colic in horses is associated with an increased ventral IAP compared with healthy controls. IAH does exist in horses with colic, notably LI medical lesions, and is associated with nonsurvival in horses that require surgery.
© Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2020.
Publication Date: 2020-10-08 PubMed ID: 33030800DOI: 10.1111/vec.13006Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article investigates the incidence of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) in horses suffering from colic. It was found that acute colic in horses is associated with increased intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and that horses with IAH, particularly those with large intestine medical lesions, are less likely to survive if they require surgery.
Objective and Methodology
- The primary objective of this research was to define the abdominal pressure cutoff for IAH in horses and to understand its characteristics in horses with acute colic.
- The research was conducted in a university teaching hospital and applied a prospective clinical cohort methodology.
- The sample included nine healthy adult horses and 56 horses suffering from acute colic.
- Ventral intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) was measured three times at end expiration and the average was taken.
- Each colic case was classified as either medical or surgical, involving the large intestine (LI) or small intestine (SI).
- The management and final outcome of each case (either alive, euthanized, or died) were noted.
Results
- The cutoff IAP value for IAH was defined as 32 mm Hg or above. This was calculated as the mean + 2 Standard Deviations (SD) of ventral IAP in control horses.
- An increased IAP was observed in horses with colic compared to healthy horses (significantly different with a p-value of 0.025).
- It was found that, over 18 months, 30.4% of horses with colic had IAH (including 10 with LI lesions, 7 with SI lesions).
- Horses with LI medical lesions had the highest IAP of all lesions (mean 36.5 mm Hg).
- In terms of management strategy, horses with medical lesions and IAH were 15 times more likely to survive than horses with IAH who needed surgery. The significance of this observation was backed by a p-value of 0.03.
Conclusion
- The research concluded that IAH does occur in horses with colic, especially in those with LI medical lesions.
- Moreover, higher ventral IAP is associated with acute colic in horses compared to healthy controls.
- The risk of non-survival increased for horses with IAH that required surgery.
Cite This Article
APA
Foth PW, Scott VH, Mudge MC, Hurcombe SD.
(2020).
Prevalence of intra-abdominal hypertension in horses with colic.
J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio), 30(6), 647-652.
https://doi.org/10.1111/vec.13006 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists, Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, New York.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, UK.
- Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists, Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, New York.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Case-Control Studies
- Colic / complications
- Colic / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horses
- Humans
- Intra-Abdominal Hypertension / complications
- Intra-Abdominal Hypertension / veterinary
- Male
- Odds Ratio
- Prevalence
- Prospective Studies
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