Use of diagnostic ultrasonography in horses with signs of acute abdominal pain.

The research examines the effectiveness of abdominal ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool in detecting small-intestine strangulation obstructions in horses showing signs of colic. It found the method to be very precise compared to other techniques like abdominal palpation.

Methods

• Researchers carried out a prospective study on 226 horses that showed signs of acute abdominal pain. These were compared with 20 clinically normal horses.
• Each of the horses with signs of colic underwent a physical examination, CBC, abdominal fluid analysis, placement of a nasogastric tube for gastric reflux acquisition, abdominal palpation per rectum, and abdominal ultrasonography.
• The results of ultrasonography were then compared with surgical, necropsy, or medical findings to arrive at a conclusion.

Results

• Ultrasonography performed on horses with primary small-intestine lesions revealed images of small intestine with a variable wall thickness and diameter, but with no evidence of motility.
• Contrarily, horses with peritonitis showed evidence of small-intestine motility on ultrasonography with different wall thickness and diameter.
• Horses with primary large-colon lesions or small-colon impactions showed a different range of small intestine diameters on ultrasonographic evaluation. Motility was also detected in these horses’ small intestines.
• When ultrasonographic evaluation detected abnormal small intestine that lacked motility, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for small-intestine strangulation obstructions were all found to be 100%. Meaning, ultrasonography was extremely accurate in diagnosing this condition.
• In contrast, the detection of distended or edematous small intestine by abdominal palpation per rectum showed a lower sensitivity of 50%, although specificity was at 98%. The positive predictive value and negative predictive value for small-intestine strangulation obstructions were 89% each, making it less effective as a diagnostic tool compared to ultrasonography.

Conclusions

• The research suggests that the use of abdominal ultrasonography in horses showing signs of colic is highly accurate in detecting small-intestine strangulation obstructions compared to other diagnostic approaches such as abdominal palpation.