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Journal of veterinary internal medicine2021; 35(4); 2019-2025; doi: 10.1111/jvim.16147

Risk factors for laminitis and nonsurvival in acute colitis: Retrospective study of 85 hospitalized horses (2011-2019).

Abstract: Acute colitis is a serious cause of morbidity and death in horses. Recent studies have compared clinical features of coronavirus and salmonellosis, but no study has compared clinical features of enteric salmonellosis, coronavirus, and neorickettsiosis. Objective: To identify risk factors for laminitis and nonsurvival to discharge in horses with enteric salmonellosis, coronavirus, or neorickettsiosis. Methods: Eighty-five horses hospitalized for acute colitis from 2011 to 2019. Methods: Retrospective case series. Medical record review (2011-2019) of adult (≥2 years) horses with colitis. Primary outcomes were laminitis and survival to discharge. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess association between variables and the development of laminitis. Stepwise Cox regression was performed to assess association between variables and survival. Results: Seventeen of 85 (20%) horses developed laminitis during hospitalization. Neorickettsiosis cases (11/26, 42%) were more likely to develop laminitis than coronavirus (0/16, 0%) cases (odds ratio [OR] 24.48; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33-451.74, P = .03). There was no significant difference in laminitis between salmonellosis and neorickettsiosis cases (OR 0.27; 95% CI: 0.07-1.07, P = .06). Admission heart rate (OR 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02-1.15, P = .01), total solids (OR 0.17; 95% CI: 0.06-0.54, P = .003), band neutrophils (OR 1248.47; 95% CI: 6.62-235 540, P = .008), and bicarbonate concentration (OR 0.68; 95% CI: 0.5-0.92, P = .01) were predictive of development of laminitis during hospitalization. Sixty-three of 85 (74%) horses survived to discharge: 16/16 (100%) coronavirus cases, 17/26 (65%) neorickettsiosis cases, 14/20 (70%) salmonellosis cases, and 16/23 (70%) unknown cases. Packed cell volume (hazard ratio [HR] 1.17; 95% CI: 1.09-1.26, P < .001), L-lactate concentration (HR 1.33; 95% CI: 1.14-1.55, P < .001), and development of laminitis (HR 7.07; 95% CI: 1.67-29.95, P = .008) were retained in the final multivariable model for prediction of nonsurvival to discharge. Conclusions: Nonsurvival and laminitis rates were high, likely related to the presence of neorickettsiosis in the region.
© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
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Publication Date: 2021-05-03 PubMed ID: 33938584PubMed Central: PMC8295695DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16147Google 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.

The research study focuses on understanding risk factors that cause laminitis (a debilitating and painful disorder in the foot of a horse) and the non-survival or mortality rate in horses suffering from acute colitis (inflammation of the colon). The acute colitis in these cases was caused by three different infectious agents – enteric salmonellosis, coronavirus, and neorickettsiosis. The study, a retrospective review of clinical records, analyzed the factors affecting 85 horses hospitalized for acute colitis across 2011-2019.

Methodology

  • The study was a retrospective review of clinical records over eight years (2011-2019), involving horses (2 years or older) suffering from enteric salmonellosis, coronavirus, or neorickettsiosis triggered acute colitis.
  • The primary outcomes of interest were if the horse exhibited laminitis during its hospital stay and if the horse survived to discharge from the hospital.
  • To assess the correlation between variables and the development of laminitis, a multivariable logistic regression was implemented. Meanwhile, a stepwise Cox regression was applied for variables relative to survival.

Findings

  • Analysis showed that out of 85 horses, 17 (20%) developed laminitis during their hospitalization.
  • Interestingly, horses with neorickettsiosis (42%) were significantly more susceptible to develop laminitis compared to those with coronavirus (0%) with an Odds ratio (OR) of 24.48.
  • There was no significant difference recorded in laminitis development between horses with salmonellosis and those with neorickettsiosis.
  • The study established that admission heart rate, total solids, band neutrophils, and bicarbonate concentration could predict the development of laminitis during hospitalization.
  • In terms of survival rate, 74% of horses, specifically all coronavirus cases, 65% of neorickettsiosis cases, and 70% each of salmonellosis and unknown cases survived to discharge.
  • The study identified that the packed cell volume, L-lactate concentration, and development of laminitis were primary predictors of non-survival to discharge.

Conclusion

  • The rates of non-survival and laminitis were high, particularly attributed to the incidence of neorickettsiosis in the region.

Such findings suggest the necessity for preventive measures for neorickettsiosis and careful monitoring of the identified risk indicators to improve horses’ treatment outcomes suffering from these conditions.

Cite This Article

APA
Luethy D, Feldman R, Stefanovski D, Aitken MR. (2021). Risk factors for laminitis and nonsurvival in acute colitis: Retrospective study of 85 hospitalized horses (2011-2019). J Vet Intern Med, 35(4), 2019-2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16147

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 35
Issue: 4
Pages: 2019-2025

Researcher Affiliations

Luethy, Daniela
  • Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Feldman, Rose
  • Department of Clinical Studies-New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA.
Stefanovski, Darko
  • Department of Clinical Studies-New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA.
Aitken, Maia R
  • Department of Clinical Studies-New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Colitis / veterinary
  • Foot Diseases / veterinary
  • Horse Diseases
  • Horses
  • Odds Ratio
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors

Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

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