Equine Colic News Hour

Advances in our understanding of the recognition and treatment of colic were recently presented at the international Colic Research Symposium in Indianapolis, USA, although there is other news that has been presented in the literature and conferences during 2011. This presentation aims to present the findings that will likely have the most impact on the recognition and treatment of colic.

Epidemiology
A recent epidemiologic study from the UK indicated that geriatric horses (defined as > 15 years-of-age) significantly increased mortality following colic surgery. Additional factors were breed (Cobs and Thoroughbreds) as well as body condition (underweight).

Recognition of colic
Veterinarians continue to look for findings that might provide greater accuracy in determining when a horse with colic should be referred or taken to surgery. A number of abstracts and papers have covered the subject of measurement of lactate in both blood and abdominal fluid. These measurements are easy to perform with newer hand-held devices designed for the field as well as the hospital. An additional diagnostic aid that has received recent attention in ultrasound, which has been shown to show considerable accuracy in determining the cause of colic

Can colonic displacements be treated medically?
A recent study indicated that displacements, aside from nephrosplenic displacements, can be treated with medical therapy. These cases would receive routine medical care, and cautious administration of analgesics as pain would be the principal concern in selecting referral and surgery. In terms of nephrosplenic displacement, medical and surgical options are available, with reported high survival rates. Medical treatment in particular (phenylephrine) is now used in the majority of cases with good success.  [...]