TY - JOUR

T1 - Short-term survival rates of 1397 horses referred for colic from 2010 to 2018

AU - Dybkjær, Emma

AU - Steffensen, Kirstine Fleng

AU - Honoré, Marie Louise

AU - Dinesen, Mathias Ankjær

AU - Christophersen, Mogens Teken

AU - Pihl, Tina Holberg

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Background: Up-to-date and hospital-specific knowledge of prognoses for horses with various forms of colic is essential for helping to guide owners’ decisions on costly treatments, and for assessing the continuous development of standards of care in the hospital. This study aimed to determine the short-term survival rates of horses admitted with colic to the University Hospital for Large Animals (UHLA), University of Copenhagen, Denmark, from 2010 to 2018, and to compare these to a previous local study as well as recent, comparable international studies. Short-term survival rates were calculated for horses grouped by treatment (surgical, medical) and diseases. Results were compared to the selected studies using Chi-square tests. Results: A total of 1752 horses were admitted with colic during the period, of which 355 were excluded for reasons such as economic restrictions or immediate euthanasia. Short-term survival of the remaining 1397 cases was significantly higher (83.0% (95% CI 81.1–85.0%)) than a previous local study (76%) and a recent Dutch study (80%). Medical treatment was carried out in 77.1% of cases, and surgery in 22.9% of the cases. Short-term survival for medically (89.7%) and surgically (60.6%) treated horses was significantly higher in the present study compared to the previous study (87% and 42%, respectively), but was similar to that found in the Dutch study. Significantly fewer horses were euthanised during surgery than in the previous study (17.2 vs. 40%), and significantly more horses recovered from surgery (79.1 vs. 56%). Short-term survival rate of surgically treated horses (60.6%) did not differ from other European studies (55–62%). Conclusions: Short-term survival rates have increased since the previous study at UHLA, mainly due to a decrease in intraoperative euthanasia. Survival rates in this study are similar to those found in recent comparable colic studies.

AB - Background: Up-to-date and hospital-specific knowledge of prognoses for horses with various forms of colic is essential for helping to guide owners’ decisions on costly treatments, and for assessing the continuous development of standards of care in the hospital. This study aimed to determine the short-term survival rates of horses admitted with colic to the University Hospital for Large Animals (UHLA), University of Copenhagen, Denmark, from 2010 to 2018, and to compare these to a previous local study as well as recent, comparable international studies. Short-term survival rates were calculated for horses grouped by treatment (surgical, medical) and diseases. Results were compared to the selected studies using Chi-square tests. Results: A total of 1752 horses were admitted with colic during the period, of which 355 were excluded for reasons such as economic restrictions or immediate euthanasia. Short-term survival of the remaining 1397 cases was significantly higher (83.0% (95% CI 81.1–85.0%)) than a previous local study (76%) and a recent Dutch study (80%). Medical treatment was carried out in 77.1% of cases, and surgery in 22.9% of the cases. Short-term survival for medically (89.7%) and surgically (60.6%) treated horses was significantly higher in the present study compared to the previous study (87% and 42%, respectively), but was similar to that found in the Dutch study. Significantly fewer horses were euthanised during surgery than in the previous study (17.2 vs. 40%), and significantly more horses recovered from surgery (79.1 vs. 56%). Short-term survival rate of surgically treated horses (60.6%) did not differ from other European studies (55–62%). Conclusions: Short-term survival rates have increased since the previous study at UHLA, mainly due to a decrease in intraoperative euthanasia. Survival rates in this study are similar to those found in recent comparable colic studies.

KW - Colic

KW - Diagnosis

KW - Equine

KW - Gastro-intestinal

KW - Medical

KW - Outcome

KW - Surgery

U2 - 10.1186/s13028-022-00631-4

DO - 10.1186/s13028-022-00631-4

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35526044

AN - SCOPUS:85129736798

VL - 64

JO - Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

JF - Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

SN - 0044-605X

M1 - 11

ER -