THERAPEUTIC MANAGEMENT OF EQUINE COLIC: CRITERIA FOR HOSPITAL REFERRAL AND EMERGENCY LAPAROTOMY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56238/levv17n58-056Keywords:
Equine Colic, Abdominal Pain, Exploratory Laparotomy, Gastrointestinal Surgery, Clinical Management, PrognosisAbstract
Colic syndrome is one of the main clinical emergencies in veterinary medicine and represents a significant cause of mortality in horses. It is characterized by abdominal pain resulting from different conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, ranging from mild, clinically treatable disorders to severe conditions requiring immediate surgical intervention. Appropriate therapeutic management depends on rapid clinical assessment and identification of criteria indicating hospital referral or emergency exploratory laparotomy. Among the main parameters used are persistent abdominal pain, elevated heart and respiratory rates, peripheral perfusion alterations, abdominal distension, significant enterogastric reflux, and laboratory abnormalities such as increased blood or peritoneal lactate, indicators frequently associated with the severity of the condition and the patient's prognosis (BISHOP et al., 2022). Studies show that most cases of colic can be managed clinically, but a considerable proportion of hospitalized patients require surgical treatment (DYBKJÆR et al., 2022). Exploratory laparotomy is the main surgical procedure used in these cases, allowing definitive diagnosis and correction of severe, obstructive, and strangulating intestinal lesions (LALEYE; SEYE; CHIAVACCINI, 2024).
Downloads
References
BISHOP, R. C. et al. Performance of predictive models of survival in horses undergoing emergency exploratory laparotomy for colic. Veterinary Surgery, v. 51, n. 6, p. 911-921, 2022.
DYBKJÆR, E. et al. Short-term survival rates of 1397 horses referred for colic from 2010 to 2018. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, v. 64, n. 11, 2022.
GIUSTO, G.; GANDINI, M. Return of showjumping horses to sporting activity after colic surgery. Equine Veterinary Journal, v. 56, p. 1-8, 2024.
HARALAMBUS, R. et al. The impact of opioid administration on the incidence of postanaesthetic colic in horses. Frontiers in Pain Research, v. 5, p. 1347548, 2024.
LALEYE, B. O. F-X. V. et al. Early recognition of pain: improving colic outcomes in horses in Senegal. Frontiers in Pain Research, v. 5, p. 1429849, 2024.
TYMA, J. F.; EPSTEIN, K. L. Postoperative sinusitis and pneumonia following exploratory celiotomy for treatment of colic in horses. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, v. 64, p. 76-80, 2023.
