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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Am Vet Med Assoc / Risk factors for wound infection following celiotomy in hors...
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association1997; 210(1); 78-81;

Risk factors for wound infection following celiotomy in horses.

Abstract: To determine the prevalence of wound infection following celiotomy in horses and to determine risk factors associated with the development of such infections. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 210 horses that had 235 celiotomies. Methods: All horses that had celiotomies between March 1990 and March 1992 were considered for this study. Only horses that survived > or = 10 days after surgery were included in analysis of risk factors for postoperative wound infection. Results: Of the 210 horses, 161 (76.7%) were discharged; of the horses discharged, 147 horses had a single celiotomy and 14 had multiple celiotomies. Twenty-six (12.4%) horses were euthanatized during surgery and were, therefore, excluded from further analysis. Twenty-three horses died during the postoperative period. Of these 23 horses, 15 that died within 10 days of surgery also were excluded from further analysis. Thus, 169 horses were included in the analysis of risk factors for developing incisional infection. Evidence of incisional infection was observed in 43 of 169 (25.4%) horses. Increased concentration of fibrinogen in peritoneal fluid obtained prior to surgery, performing an enterotomy, and use of polyglactin 910 to close the linea alba were all significantly (P < or = 0.05) associated with increased risk of postoperative wound infection. Whether incisional herniation developed was recorded for 76 horses. The proportion of horses with hernias among those with postoperative wound infection was 19.1%, compared with 3.6% of horses without evidence of postoperative wound infection, indicating a significant association between postoperative wound infection and development of incisional hernias. Conclusions: Increased concentration of fibrinogen in peritoneal fluid prior to surgery, performing an enterotomy, and use of polyglactin 910 to close the linea alba is significantly associated with increased risk for wound infection following celiotomy in horses.
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Publication Date: 1997-01-01 PubMed ID: 8977653
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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 study examines the prevalence of wound infection following a surgical procedure called celiotomy in horses and explores specific risk factors that could increase the likelihood of such infections. The findings highlight three major risk factors; high concentration of fibrinogen in peritoneal fluid before surgery, conducting an enterotomy, and use of polyglactin 910 to seal the surgical incision.

Study Design and Methodology

  • The study was designed as a prospective study in which the research data was collected over two years from March 1990 to March 1992.
  • The subjects of the study were 210 horses that had undergone 235 celiotomies. A celiotomy is a surgical incision into the abdominal cavity of a horse.
  • The research only included horses that survived 10 days or more after surgery to analyze the risk factors for postoperative wound infections.
  • The horses who were euthanized during surgery or died within 10 days post-surgery were excluded from the study and hence, from risk factors analysis. This resulted in a total of 169 horses being included in the study.

Results

  • Out of the 169 horses analyzed, 43 horses (25.4%) showed evidence of incisional infection after celiotomy.
  • The study found that a higher concentration of fibrinogen in peritoneal fluid, a part of the horse’s immune response to surgery, was associated with a significant higher risk of postoperative wound infection.
  • The act of performing an enterotomy, a surgical procedure in which a hole is made in the intestine, was also a significant risk factor for developing wound infections post-surgery.
  • The technique of closing the surgical wound with polyglactin 910, a synthetic thread, was identified as another significant risk factor for postoperative wound infections.
  • The study also found a significant association between postoperative wound infections and the development of incisional hernias in horses. The proportion of horses with hernias after wound infection stood at 19.1%, compared with 3.6% in horses without any postoperative wound infection.

Conclusions

  • The study concludes that there are three significant risk factors in horses for developing a wound infection following a celiotomy. These are an increased concentration of fibrinogen in the peritoneal fluid prior to surgery, carrying out an enterotomy, and closing the surgical wound with polyglactin 910.
  • This research provides critical information for future pre-surgical assessments, surgical techniques, and postoperative treatment and can be used to develop strategies to reduce the risk of wound infection following celiotomy in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Honnas CM, Cohen ND. (1997). Risk factors for wound infection following celiotomy in horses. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 210(1), 78-81.

Publication

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
ISSN: 0003-1488
NlmUniqueID: 7503067
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 210
Issue: 1
Pages: 78-81

Researcher Affiliations

Honnas, C M
  • Texas Veterinary Medical Center, Department of Large Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-4475, USA.
Cohen, N D

    MeSH Terms

    • Abdomen / surgery
    • Animals
    • Ascitic Fluid / chemistry
    • Ascitic Fluid / veterinary
    • Fibrinogen / analysis
    • Horses / surgery
    • Intestines / surgery
    • Logistic Models
    • Polyglactin 910 / adverse effects
    • Prospective Studies
    • Risk Factors
    • Surgical Wound Infection / epidemiology
    • Surgical Wound Infection / etiology
    • Surgical Wound Infection / veterinary
    • Sutures

    Citations

    This article has been cited 11 times.
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    3. Griessel TS, Muñoz Morán JA, Byaruhanga C, Smit Y. A single-centre retrospective study of surgical site infection following equine colic surgery (2013‒2021). Vet Rec 2025 May 17;196(10):e5227.
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    4. Isgren CM, Pinchbeck GL, Salem SE, Hann MJ, Townsend NB, Cullen MD, Archer DC. Evaluation of a stent dressing and abdominal bandage on surgical site infection following emergency equine laparotomy: A randomised controlled trial. Equine Vet J 2025 Nov;57(6):1466-1477.
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    5. Rockow M, Griffenhagen G, Landolt G, Hendrickson D, Pezzanite L. Current Antimicrobial Use in Horses Undergoing Exploratory Celiotomy: A Survey of Board-Certified Equine Specialists. Animals (Basel) 2023 Apr 22;13(9).
      doi: 10.3390/ani13091433pubmed: 37174470google scholar: lookup
    6. Stöckle SD, Kannapin DA, Kauter AML, Lübke-Becker A, Walther B, Merle R, Gehlen H. A Pilot Randomised Clinical Trial Comparing a Short-Term Perioperative Prophylaxis Regimen to a Long-Term Standard Protocol in Equine Colic Surgery. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021 May 16;10(5).
      doi: 10.3390/antibiotics10050587pubmed: 34065712google scholar: lookup
    7. Crosa AT, Katzman SA, Kelleher ME, Nieto JE, Kilcoyne I, Dechant JE. Incidence of incisional complications after exploratory celiotomy in equids affected with enterolithiasis. Can Vet J 2020 Oct;61(10):1085-1091.
      pubmed: 33012825
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    9. Gitari A, Nguhiu J, Varma V, Mogoa E. Occurrence, treatment protocols, and outcomes of colic in horses within Nairobi County, Kenya. Vet World 2017 Oct;10(10):1255-1263.
      doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2017.1255-1263pubmed: 29184373google scholar: lookup
    10. Rousseau M, Anderson DE, Rozell TG, Hand JM, Faris BR. Comparison of polyglactin-910 and polydioxanone for closure of the linea alba following caudal ventral midline laparotomy in sheep. Can Vet J 2015 Sep;56(9):959-63.
      pubmed: 26345301
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      doi: 10.1128/JCM.00868-06pubmed: 17005735google scholar: lookup
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