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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2020; 10(12); doi: 10.3390/ani10122242

Prospective Feasibility and Revalidation of the Equine Acute Abdominal Pain Scale (EAAPS) in Clinical Cases of Colic in Horses.

Abstract: Assessment of the severity of pain in colic cases is subjective. The Equine Acute Abdominal Pain Scale (EAAPS), previously validated using film clips of horses with colic, was tested for feasibility and revalidated in both medical and surgical colic cases in Israel and the UK. Feasibility qualities evaluated were quickness and ease-of-use. Pain in 231 horses, presented for colic, was assessed by 35 participants; 26 in the UK and 9 in Israel. Without prior training, participants assessed the severity of pain using two scales; the EAAPS and a visual analogue scale (VAS). Convergent validity comparing the EAAPS to the VAS was substantial, discriminant validity was good, and predictive validity for surgical treatment was similar to the VAS, but for mortality, the VAS was significantly better. No participants reported the EAAPS to be "very slow" or "very difficult" to use. The mode reported was "quick"/"very quick" and "easy"/"very easy" to use, though in less than 10% of cases, it was reported to be a little less quick or easy. More experienced first-time users found it significantly quicker to use than less experienced participants. In conclusion, the EAAPS is the only equine pain assessment scale that has been tested and found to demonstrate good feasibility for use in the referral hospital setting.
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Publication Date: 2020-11-29 PubMed ID: 33260428PubMed Central: PMC7760242DOI: 10.3390/ani10122242Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 tested and validated the practicality and effectiveness of the Equine Acute Abdominal Pain Scale (EAAPS) in assessing pain severity in horses suffering from colic in clinical conditions in the UK and Israel. The study found that the EAAPS is feasible, reliable, and has similar predictive validity for surgical treatment as the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), though the VAS performed better in predicting mortality.

Methodology

  • EAAPS was tested on 231 horses presented for colic. These assessments were carried out by 35 participants, 26 from the UK and 9 from Israel.
  • Participants were asked to rate the severity of pain using both the EAAPS and a visual analogue scale (VAS). They were not given any prior training for this process.
  • Exploration of EAAPS’ feasibility focused on its speediness and ease of use.

Results

  • When compared to the VAS, it was found that the EAAPS had good convergent validity, meaning that the EAAPS and the VAS analyzed similar constructs of pain severity.
  • In terms of discriminant validity, it showed that the EAAPS could differentiate between different measures or constructs. It illustrated that the EAAPS is suitable for determining different severity levels of pain associated with colic in horses.
  • On the topic of predicting the need for surgical treatment, the EAAPS demonstrated similar predictive validity to the VAS.
  • However, the VAS was found to be significantly superior to the EAAPS when it came to predicting mortality.
  • Regarding the usability of the EAAPS, none of the participants found the tool to be very slow or very difficult to use. The most frequently reported experience was that the EAAPS was quick or very quick and easy or very easy to use.
  • However, in less than 10% of the assessments, the scale was reported to be a bit less quick or easy to use.
  • The research also showed that more experienced first-time users used the EAAPS quicker than those with less experience.

Conclusion

  • The EAAPS proved to be the only equine pain assessment scale to have been tested and found to demonstrate good usability in the setting of a referral hospital.

Cite This Article

APA
Maskato Y, Dugdale AHA, Singer ER, Kelmer G, Sutton GA. (2020). Prospective Feasibility and Revalidation of the Equine Acute Abdominal Pain Scale (EAAPS) in Clinical Cases of Colic in Horses. Animals (Basel), 10(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10122242

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 12

Researcher Affiliations

Maskato, Yamit
  • Large Animal Department, Robert H Smith, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 12, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
Dugdale, Alexandra H A
  • Leahurst Campus, School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Chester High Road, Neston, Wirral CH64 7TE, UK.
Singer, Ellen R
  • Leahurst Campus, School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Chester High Road, Neston, Wirral CH64 7TE, UK.
Kelmer, Gal
  • Large Animal Department, Robert H Smith, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 12, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
Sutton, Gila A
  • Large Animal Department, Robert H Smith, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 12, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
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