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F1000Research 2021Horses are herd animals that have been domesticated in the last century. In several countries, an overview of risk factors and clinical evaluation in horses with colic...
Horses are herd animals that have been domesticated in the last century. In several countries, an overview of risk factors and clinical evaluation in horses with colic has not been well-described. This study aimed to evaluate risk factors and hematological profiles in horses associated with colic in Gresik, East Java, Indonesia. A cross-sectional study was performed during April - October 2019. A total of 115 horses were diagnosed based on physical examination, clinical symptoms, and rectal examination. A questionnaire was asked to the horse-owners to analyze the risk factors while the clinical examination was performed and blood samples were collected for pre-treatment and 14 days post-treatment. Hematological profile was evaluated from a whole blood sample. Serum cortisol, plasma epinephrine, and norepinephrine concentrations were also evaluated after separating the aliquots. Of the 115 horses, 96 were diagnosed with colic. The horses with colic showed a significant association between cases with gender (p<0.021), breed (p<0.000), wheat bran feeding (p<0.015), concentrate feeding (p<0.003), anthelmintics administration (p<0.000), gastrointestinal parasites (p<0.000), dental diseases (p<0.024), previous exposure to colic (p<0.000), body condition score (p<0.000), and access to water per day (p<0.000). Based on whole blood and serum evaluation, there were ameliorated significantly on the hematological profile (p<0.01), serum cortisol (p<0.05), and plasma epinephrine (p<0.01) at 14 days post-treatment. This study has identified factors associated with colic in Delman horses. The study provides crucial information to investigate cases of colic and to contribute the development of healthcare strategies during treatment and clinical evaluation.
Topics: Animals; Colic; Cross-Sectional Studies; Epinephrine; Horse Diseases; Horses; Hydrocortisone; Indonesia; Risk Factors
PubMed: 35136578
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.55312.2 -
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica Mar 2009Muscle metabolism in horses has been studied mainly by analysis of substances in blood or plasma and muscle biopsy specimens. By using microdialysis, real-time...
BACKGROUND
Muscle metabolism in horses has been studied mainly by analysis of substances in blood or plasma and muscle biopsy specimens. By using microdialysis, real-time monitoring of the metabolic events in local tissue with a minimum of trauma is possible. There is limited information about muscle metabolism in the early recovery period after anaesthesia in horses and especially in the colic horse. The aims were to evaluate the microdialysis technique as a complement to plasma analysis and to study the concentration changes in lactate, pyruvate, glucose, glycerol, and urea during anaesthesia and in the recovery period in colic horses undergoing abdominal surgery and in healthy horses not subjected to surgery.
METHODS
Ten healthy university-owned horses given anaesthesia alone and ten client-owned colic horses subjected to emergency abdominal surgery were anaesthetised for a mean (range) of 230 min (193-273) and 208 min (145-300) respectively. Venous blood samples were taken before anaesthesia. Venous blood sampling and microdialysis in the gluteal muscle were performed during anaesthesia and until 24 h after anaesthesia. Temporal changes and differences between groups were analysed with an ANOVA for repeated measures followed by Tukey Post Hoc test or Planned Comparisons.
RESULTS
Lactate, glucose and urea, in both dialysate and plasma, were higher in the colic horses than in the healthy horses for several hours after recovery to standing. In the colic horses, lactate, glucose, and urea in dialysate, and lactate in plasma increased during the attempts to stand. The lactate-to-pyruvate ratio was initially high in sampled colic horses but decreased over time. In the colic horses, dialysate glycerol concentrations varied considerably whereas in the healthy horses, dialysate glycerol was elevated during anaesthesia but decreased after standing. In both groups, lactate concentration was higher in dialysate than in plasma. The correspondence between dialysate and plasma concentrations of glucose, urea and glycerol varied.
CONCLUSION
Microdialysis proved to be suitable in the clinical setting for monitoring of the metabolic events during anaesthesia and recovery. It was possible with this technique to show greater muscle metabolic alterations in the colic horses compared to the healthy horses in response to regaining the standing position.
Topics: Anesthesia; Animals; Colic; Female; Horse Diseases; Horses; Male; Microdialysis
PubMed: 19284560
DOI: 10.1186/1751-0147-51-10 -
BMC Veterinary Research 2014Little is known about lay understanding and decision making in response to colic. Horse-owners/carers are key to identifying colic and initiating veterinary...
BACKGROUND
Little is known about lay understanding and decision making in response to colic. Horse-owners/carers are key to identifying colic and initiating veterinary intervention. Understanding how owners think and act in relation to colic could assist veterinary surgeons in tailoring information about colic with the aim of improving colic outcomes.
METHODS
A mixed methods approach was employed including qualitative in-depth interviews and a cross-sectional questionnaire. Qualitative data were analysed using Grounded theory to conceptualise processes involved in horse-owner management of colic. Following this, a cross-sectional survey was designed to test these concepts. Cluster analysis explored the role of the human-horse relationship upon colic management strategies.
RESULTS
Fifteen horse-owners with a range of colic experience participated in the interviews. A theoretical conceptual model was developed and described how horse-owners' recognised, assessed and responded to colic. Three main management strategies were used including 'wait and see', 'lay treatments' and 'seek veterinary assistance'. Actions in response to colic were moderated by owners' experience of colic and interpretation of the severity of colic signs. A postal questionnaire gathered data from 673 horse-owners from the North-West of the UK. The majority (605, 89.9%) of respondents were female. Cluster analysis revealed 5 meaningful groups of horse-owners based upon assessment of questionnaire items on the human-horse relationship. These groups included 2 professional and 3 amateur owner typologies. There were differences in the responses to some questionnaire items among the identified groups.
CONCLUSIONS
This study describes lay understanding and management of colic among a population of horse-owners from the North-West of the UK. The information may serve as a basis upon which to tailor existing programmes designed to educate owners about colic management strategies, and may inform veterinarians' interactions with horse-owners.
Topics: Animal Husbandry; Animals; Colic; Data Collection; Decision Making; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Horse Diseases; Horses; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Ownership; Surveys and Questionnaires; United Kingdom
PubMed: 25238026
DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-10-S1-S1 -
Veterinary Research 2002Many factors have been identified as risk factors for colic in horses in several epidemiological studies. The aim of our paper was to review the results of 12... (Review)
Review
Many factors have been identified as risk factors for colic in horses in several epidemiological studies. The aim of our paper was to review the results of 12 epidemiological studies, in order to assess the impact of each risk factor for colic. According to the literature, the factors that increase the risk of colic are feeding practices (type and quality of food, type and changes of feeding), the intrinsic factors of horses (sex, age and breed), management (type and changes of housing and activity), medical history (a previous colic, administration of a medical treatment) and parasite control (the presence of worms and type of deworming program). Several individual factors were incriminated as risk factors by all the studies. Nevertheless, the different studies did not always agree on the role of other risk factors. The conclusions were tightly related to several criteria in the selection of the study population, like the type of the epidemiological study, the number and the origin of horses included and the location of the study.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animal Husbandry; Animals; Colic; Epidemiologic Studies; Female; Horse Diseases; Horses; Male; Parasitic Diseases, Animal; Recurrence; Risk Factors
PubMed: 12498565
DOI: 10.1051/vetres:2002044 -
The Veterinary Record Jan 2019Colic is a common and potentially life-threatening condition of horses. Multiple risk factors have been previously identified and it is known that a careful management...
Colic is a common and potentially life-threatening condition of horses. Multiple risk factors have been previously identified and it is known that a careful management routine can help reduce colic rates. The British military working horse population represents a unique cohort of horses that are intensively managed with a strict regimen. This retrospective study examined the incidence and mortality rate of colic within this population, as well as the signalment of affected horses, and compared these with the general population. Data for 717 horses over a five-year period (2008-2012) were analysed. Of these, 163 horses (22.7 per cent) experienced 267 colic episodes and 13 horses (1.8 per cent) died because of colic. Recurrent colic was experienced by 35 per cent (57/163) of horses. The incidence of colic was 11.1 episodes per 100 horse-years and of colic-related death was 0.5 deaths per 100 horse-years. Horses purchased from mainland Europe were more likely to suffer from colic (OR 4.6; P<0.001) and from recurrent colic (OR 6.0; P=0.005) than horses purchased from Ireland. Only 3 per cent (8/267) of colic episodes were treated surgically. It was concluded that the incidences of colic and colic-related deaths within the British military working horse population are similar to those of the general horse population.
Topics: Animals; Colic; Female; Horse Diseases; Horses; Incidence; Male; Retrospective Studies; United Kingdom; Veterinary Service, Military
PubMed: 30455192
DOI: 10.1136/vr.104956 -
International Journal of Clinical... Jul 2007As a result of the undesired action of opioids on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, patients receiving opioid medication for chronic pain often experience opioid-induced... (Review)
Review
As a result of the undesired action of opioids on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, patients receiving opioid medication for chronic pain often experience opioid-induced bowel dysfunction (OBD), the most common and debilitating symptom of which is constipation. Based on clinical experience and a comprehensive MEDLINE literature review, this paper provides the primary care physician with an overview of the prevalence, pathophysiology and burden of OBD. Patients with OBD suffer from a wide range of symptoms including constipation, decreased gastric emptying, abdominal cramping, spasm, bloating, delayed GI transit and the formation of hard dry stools. OBD can have a serious negative impact on quality of life (QoL) and the daily activities that patients feel able to perform. To relieve constipation associated with OBD, patients often use laxatives chronically (associated with risks) or alter/abandon their opioid medication, potentially sacrificing analgesia. Physicians should have greater appreciation of the prevalence, symptoms and burden of OBD. In light of the serious negative impact OBD can have on QoL, physicians should encourage dialogue with patients to facilitate optimal symptomatic management of the condition. There is a pressing need for new therapies that act upon the underlying mechanisms of OBD.
Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Analgesics, Opioid; Cathartics; Chronic Disease; Colic; Constipation; Gastric Emptying; Gastrointestinal Transit; Humans; Pain; Quality of Life; Severity of Illness Index; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 17488292
DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2007.01415.x -
Pediatric Research Feb 2020To characterize acoustic features of an infant's cry and use machine learning to provide an objective measurement of behavioral state in a cry-translator. To apply...
BACKGROUND
To characterize acoustic features of an infant's cry and use machine learning to provide an objective measurement of behavioral state in a cry-translator. To apply the cry-translation algorithm to colic hypothesizing that these cries sound painful.
METHODS
Assessment of 1000 cries in a mobile app (ChatterBaby). Training a cry-translation algorithm by evaluating >6000 acoustic features to predict whether infant cry was due to a pain (vaccinations, ear-piercings), fussy, or hunger states. Using the algorithm to predict the behavioral state of infants with reported colic.
RESULTS
The cry-translation algorithm was 90.7% accurate for identifying pain cries, and achieved 71.5% accuracy in discriminating cries from fussiness, hunger, or pain. The ChatterBaby cry-translation algorithm overwhelmingly predicted that colic cries were most likely from pain, compared to fussy and hungry states. Colic cries had average pain ratings of 73%, significantly greater than the pain measurements found in fussiness and hunger (p < 0.001, 2-sample t test). Colic cries outranked pain cries by measures of acoustic intensity, including energy, length of voiced periods, and fundamental frequency/pitch, while fussy and hungry cries showed reduced intensity measures compared to pain and colic.
CONCLUSIONS
Acoustic features of cries are consistent across a diverse infant population and can be utilized as objective markers of pain, hunger, and fussiness. The ChatterBaby algorithm detected significant acoustic similarities between colic and painful cries, suggesting that they may share a neuronal pathway.
Topics: Abdominal Pain; Acoustics; Colic; Crying; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant Behavior; Infant, Newborn; Machine Learning; Male; Mobile Applications; Pain Perception; Pattern Recognition, Automated; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Sound Spectrography
PubMed: 31585457
DOI: 10.1038/s41390-019-0592-4 -
The Canadian Veterinary Journal = La... Apr 2022The objective of this prospective case-control study of 125 horses with gastrointestinal tract-induced colic was to determine whether heart rate (HR) and packed cell...
The objective of this prospective case-control study of 125 horses with gastrointestinal tract-induced colic was to determine whether heart rate (HR) and packed cell volume (PCV) can predict surgical medical treatment and its short-term survival (time of discharge of the patient). Sixty-four horses were treated medically and 61 surgically (29 small intestinal and 32 large intestinal cases). At admission, both PCV and HR were higher in horses treated surgically than in horses treated medically; however, with longer duration of colic before presentation, the PCV was higher in the small intestinal surgical group only. In addition, both PCV and HR were higher, and the duration of colic was longer in non-survivors compared to survivors. Binary logistic regression demonstrated a significant association between HR and type of treatment, and both HR and PCV were predictive of survival. Simple parameters such as HR and PCV provide useful information for management of colic cases.
Topics: Animals; Case-Control Studies; Cell Size; Colic; Gastrointestinal Tract; Heart Rate; Horse Diseases; Horses
PubMed: 35368402
DOI: No ID Found -
Singapore Medical Journal Jan 2019Infantile colic is a common self-limiting condition that causes significant distress to parents and caregivers. There is no clear cause, gold standard remedy or...
Infantile colic is a common self-limiting condition that causes significant distress to parents and caregivers. There is no clear cause, gold standard remedy or preventative action. The role of the family physician is to rule out sinister causes while providing counselling and reassurance for parents. The mainstay of management is parental support and reassurance while looking out for red flags in the baby such as fever, lethargy, distended abdomen and failure to thrive. This article provides a framework to approaching infantile colic and practical pointers to share with parents.
Topics: Caregivers; Colic; Crying; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Infant; Infant Formula; Infant, Newborn; Muscle Hypertonia; Parenting; Parents; Pediatrics; Physicians, Family; Primary Health Care; Professional-Patient Relations
PubMed: 30840991
DOI: 10.11622/smedj.2019004 -
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic... May 2022Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a biomarker of ischemia, systemic inflammation, and mortality in humans with gastrointestinal disease. Cell-free DNA has not been...
Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a biomarker of ischemia, systemic inflammation, and mortality in humans with gastrointestinal disease. Cell-free DNA has not been investigated as a biomarker for equine colic, to our knowledge. We hypothesized that cfDNA could be measured accurately in neat equine plasma using a benchtop fluorometer and that plasma cfDNA would be elevated in emergency patients compared to healthy horses. Plasma was obtained from blood collected in Roche DNA stabilizing tubes. We used the Qubit 4 fluorometer and 1× dsDNA HS assay kit to measure cfDNA concentration in neat patient plasma and following DNA extraction of plasma with a commercial kit. Assay precision and linearity of dilution were satisfactory for neat plasma cfDNA, but DNA spike and recovery results were variable. Further, cfDNA concentrations in paired neat plasma and extracted-plasma samples ( = 66) were not correlated. Median extracted-plasma cfDNA was higher in emergency patients ( = 50) and a subgroup of colic patients ( = 36), compared to healthy horses ( = 19). Our results with extracted-plasma samples provide proof of concept for further investigation of plasma cfDNA as a biomarker in horses.
Topics: Animals; Biomarkers; Cell-Free Nucleic Acids; Colic; DNA; Horse Diseases; Horses; Humans; Plasma
PubMed: 35168428
DOI: 10.1177/10406387221078047