Survey of the approach to the diagnosis and management of bacterial pneumonia in adult horses by equine veterinarians.
Authors: Hepworth-Warren Kate L, Love Kim
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Bacterial Pneumonia Management in Adult Horses: Survey Reveals Wide Practice Variation and Antimicrobial Stewardship Concerns Bacterial pneumonia affects adult horses frequently, yet equine practitioners currently lack evidence-based clinical guidelines to standardise diagnosis and treatment approaches. Hepworth-Warren and Love surveyed 244 equine veterinarians across multiple platforms regarding their diagnostic methods, risk factor identification, and therapeutic protocols for bacterial pneumonia, stratifying responses by practice type and practitioner training. Significant variations emerged in clinical approach: whilst most practitioners extended antimicrobial therapy beyond two weeks, only 53.3% reported consistently using culture and susceptibility testing to direct treatment decisions, suggesting considerable reliance on empirical protocols rather than individualised antimicrobial selection. These inconsistencies raise concerns about both treatment efficacy and antimicrobial stewardship, particularly given the increasing global pressure to reduce unnecessary antibiotic exposure in veterinary medicine. Development of evidence-based guidelines—potentially addressing optimal treatment duration, diagnostic prioritisation, and culture-guided therapy protocols—would help standardise practice, improve outcomes, and align equine respiratory management with contemporary antimicrobial stewardship principles.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Current practice is highly variable and often prolonged—standardized guidelines are needed to optimize treatment duration and reduce unnecessary antimicrobial exposure
- •Culture and susceptibility testing should be a routine part of bacterial pneumonia diagnosis to ensure appropriate drug selection and reduce resistance development
- •Consider that your diagnostic and treatment approach may differ significantly from peers; evidence-based protocols would help standardize care quality across practices
Key Findings
- •Significant variation exists in diagnostic approaches and treatment protocols for bacterial pneumonia among equine veterinarians based on practice type and training
- •Majority of practitioners administer antimicrobials for longer than 2 weeks, despite lack of evidence-based guidelines
- •Only 53.3% of respondents consistently use culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing to guide therapy
- •No standardized clinical guidelines currently exist for risk factors, diagnosis, and management of bacterial pneumonia in adult horses