Peri-anaesthetic complications in an equine referral hospital: Risk factors for post anaesthetic colic.
Authors: Jago R C, Corletto F, Wright I M
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Peri-anaesthetic Complications in Equine Referral Practice Post-anaesthetic colic (PAC) remains one of the most significant complications following general anaesthesia in horses, yet preventable risk factors remain incompletely understood. This retrospective analysis of 1,067 anaesthetic procedures at a UK referral centre identified PAC in 10.5% of cases within seven days of surgery, with two modifiable risk factors emerging as particularly important: Thoroughbred horses demonstrated nearly three times the odds of developing PAC compared with other breeds (OR 2.93), whilst administration of sodium benzylpenicillin for prophylactic antimicrobial cover increased risk by approximately 2.77-fold. Given that Thoroughbreds comprised 65.8% of the surgical population yet showed disproportionately high complication rates, breed-specific physiological factors—possibly relating to their predisposition to gastric ulceration or altered post-operative motility patterns—warrant urgent investigation. For practitioners, these findings suggest that antibiotic selection warrants reconsideration in high-risk patients, and that enhanced post-operative monitoring of gastrointestinal function may be justified in Thoroughbreds and other at-risk individuals to enable early detection and intervention.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Monitor TB racehorses more carefully post-operatively for signs of colic, as they are at significantly elevated risk following general anaesthesia
- •Consider alternative prophylactic antimicrobial agents to sodium benzylpenicillin in horses undergoing general anaesthesia, pending further investigation of its association with post-anaesthetic colic
- •Implement enhanced post-anaesthetic gastrointestinal assessment protocols for high-risk populations to identify and manage colic early
Key Findings
- •Post-anaesthetic colic occurred in 10.5% (111/1067) of horses within 7 days of general anaesthesia
- •Thoroughbred horses had 2.93 times increased odds of developing post-anaesthetic colic compared to other breeds
- •Horses receiving sodium benzylpenicillin had 2.77 times increased odds of post-anaesthetic colic
- •Overall mortality rate was 0.94% (10/1067 horses) with 15.8% experiencing some complication within 7 days