Advances in Management of Small Intestinal Diseases Causing Colic

1. Introduction
In terms of advances in management of small intestinal colic, substantial improvements in short- and long-term survival after surgery have been documented.^1,2  Increases in survival are likely attributable to a number of factors, including referral time, surgical techniques, and post-operative care. In addition, not all causes of small intestinal colic are surgical.³  Documentation of changes in referral time is difficult, and surgical techniques have remained similar over the last decade with only some changes in attitudes toward the most appropriate techniques.⁴  Additionally, there has been a greater recognition of the injury that can be caused by surgical manipulation, and methods to reduce this trauma have been developed.⁵  However, the most dramatic improvements have arisen in intraoperative and post-operative medical treatment, which may in part explain changes in survival. These treatments are almost all aimed at rapid resuscitation of the horse from shock, and treatments are directed to control the most frequent cause of shock, lipopolysaccharide (also known as endotoxin).⁶ [...]