Treatments to promote colonic hydration: enteral fluid therapy versus intravenous fluid therapy and magnesium sulphate.

The research article focuses on comparing the effects of enteral fluid therapy and intravenous (IV) fluid therapy combined with magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) in treating large intestine impactions. The study found that enteral fluid therapy is more effective in promoting hydration and has fewer pronounced systemic effects than IV fluid therapy combined with MgSO4.

Research Method

• The study involved four horses who had a fistula (an abnormal connection between two parts of the body) in the right dorsal colon.
• These horses received enteral fluids and IV fluids combined with MgSO4 in two alternating periods, one week apart.
• Sixty litres of fluids were administered continuously at a rate of 10 litres/hr through a venous catheter (for IV fluids) or a nasogastric tube (for enteral fluids).
• Magnesium sulphate was administered via a nasogastric tube before the IV fluid therapy began.

Findings

• Both methods of treatment induced pollakiuria (increased frequency of urination), hypostenuria (low urine specific gravity), increased bodyweight and faecal and ingesta hydration (hydration of gut content).
• The treatments also led to a decrease in packed cell volume (PCV), plasma protein, and plasma magnesium.
• However, horses who received enteral fluids experienced abdominal distention and more pronounced changes in body weight and ingesta hydration.
• Those treated with IV fluids and MgSO4 exhibited hypocalcaemia (low calcium levels in the blood) and greater changes in plasma protein.

Conclusion

• The results of the study suggest that treating large intestine impactions with enteral fluid therapy proves to be more effective in promoting ingesta hydration, that is, increasing the amount of water in the gut content.
• It also reveals that enteral fluid therapy is accompanied by less pronounced systemic effects as opposed to the combination of IV fluid therapy and MgSO4.
• This finding is significant as enteral fluids are less expensive, thereby making them a potentially more cost-effective treatment option for large intestine impactions.