Discussion

Aim: To identify clinical variables as predictors for short-term survival in horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy for strangulating small intestinal lesions. We hypothesised that cardiovascular and respiratory variables, volume of nasogastric reflux, laboratory parameters, patient weight, patient age, intensity of pain, duration of colic and time of surgery are significantly different between surviving and nonsurviving horses. Methods: All cases of horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy for a strangulating small intestinal lesion and recovering from anaesthesia between 2006 and 2012 at an equine referral hospital (n = 66) were reviewed. Pre- and post operative heart and respiratory rates, rectal temperature, packed cell volume, blood lactate, volume of nasogastric reflux, mucous membrane colour, capillary refill time, pain, duration of colic, time of induction of anaesthesia, as well as weight, age and sex of the animal were recorded. Univariate and multivariate data analysis was performed. Results: Univariate analysis revealed the following variables to be related to survival until discharge: post operative heart rate (P<0.05), packed cell volume (P<0.05), and age (P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival curves for each variable revealed that probability of survival until discharge decreased as each of these variables increased independently. Multivariate analysis confirmed only packed cell volume to be significantly related with survival to discharge from the hospital. Conclusions: Our findings are in agreement with previous reports and indicate that packed cell volume is a useful prognostic indicator for short- term survival in horses with strangulating small intestinal lesions. Practical significance: Patient age, pre- and post operative heart rate and packed cell volume can be used to carefully estimate a short-term survival prognosis for horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy for strangulating small intestinal lesions. This information is useful because financial restrictions and the relatively high morbidity of colic surgery in horses with strangulating small intestinal lesions implicate that an informed decision to perform this surgery in these patients is taken.