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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Intern Med / Prognosis in equine medical and surgical colic.
Journal of veterinary internal medicine2003; 17(3); 343-348; doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2003.tb02459.x

Prognosis in equine medical and surgical colic.

Abstract: A retrospective study was performed on 649 horses admitted to the Clinic of Equine Internal Medicine (Utrecht University) for gastrointestinal colic. The aim of this study was to provide a better guideline for determining prognosis in horses with colic. Short- and long-term survival were evaluated, and Cox regression analysis was performed to identify the clinical and clinicopathologic variables usable to predict survival. Intestinal displacements and strangulations were the most frequently diagnosed causes of colic. Regarding the surgically treated horses, 54% were discharged and 88% of these were still alive after 1 year. In comparison, 85% of medically treated patients were discharged and 93% were still alive after 1 year. Only 4.4% of all long-term survivors did not return to the expected level of performance, and 32% suffered from recurrent colic. Duration of colic signs, heart rate, intestinal motility, skin tenting, level of pain, and gross appearance of peritoneal fluid were shown to be significantly associated with survival. White blood cell count, packed cell volume, blood pH, and color of the mucous membranes did not show any prognostic significance. Thus, clinical variables appeared to be the most relevant predictors of the outcome of gastrointestinal colic.
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Publication Date: 2003-05-31 PubMed ID: 12774977DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2003.tb02459.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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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.

This research paper is a retrospective study on 649 horses admitted for gastrointestinal colic, with the aim to establish better guidelines for prognosis. The study looked at short- and long-term survival and identified certain clinical symptoms that correlated with survival.

Study Overview

  • The research was conducted in the Clinic of Equine Internal Medicine at Utrecht University, where 649 horses suffering from gastrointestinal colic were retrospectively studied.

Aims and Objectives

  • The primary aim of this research was to provide more useful guidelines and predictive characteristics for assessing the prognosis of horses with colic.
  • The study looks at both short-term and long-term survival rates.
  • It also utilized a Cox regression analysis to find clinical and clinicopathologic variables that can predict survival.

Findings and Results

  • Intestinal displacements and strangulations were found to be the most common causes of colic.
  • As for surgically treated horses, 54% were discharged, and 88% of those survived a year post-discharge.
  • On the other hand, 85% of medically treated horses were discharged, and 93% remained alive after a year.
  • Only a small percentage, 4.4%, of all long-term survivors did not return to their expected level of performance, while 32% suffered from recurrent colic.
  • Certain clinical symptoms and observations, like duration of colic signs, heart rate, intestinal motility, skin tenting, level of pain, and the gross appearance of peritoneal fluid, were found to be significantly associated with survival.
  • Contrarily, other factors such as white blood cell count, packed cell volume, blood pH, and color of the mucous membranes did not show any significant association with the prognosis.

Conclusions

  • The study, thus, concludes that clinical variables turn out to be the most relevant predictors of the outcome of gastrointestinal colic in horses.
  • This improved understanding of prognosis in cases of equine colic can help in better decision-making regarding the appropriate treatment strategy.

Cite This Article

APA
van der Linden MA, Laffont CM, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM. (2003). Prognosis in equine medical and surgical colic. J Vet Intern Med, 17(3), 343-348. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2003.tb02459.x

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 0891-6640
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 17
Issue: 3
Pages: 343-348

Researcher Affiliations

van der Linden, Marianne A
  • Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
Laffont, Céline M
    Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan, Marianne M

      MeSH Terms

      • Animals
      • Colic / diagnosis
      • Colic / epidemiology
      • Colic / surgery
      • Colic / veterinary
      • Female
      • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
      • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
      • Horse Diseases / mortality
      • Horse Diseases / surgery
      • Horses
      • Male
      • Prevalence
      • Prognosis
      • Treatment Outcome

      Citations

      This article has been cited 27 times.
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