Original ResearchEffects of Jejunal Manipulation During Surgical Laparotomy Techniques and Its Evaluation Using Physical, Clinical, and Echographic Parameters in Horses
Introduction
Acute abdomen is a term for a group of signs indicative of abdominal pain originating with the digestive system or other abdominal organ [1], which can be caused by intestinal obstruction and block of food passage through the intestines. Acute abdomen has an approximate clinical incidence of 3.5–10.5 cases per 100 horses per year [2]; between 7% and 10% of the acute abdomen cases require immediate surgical treatment [3]. Acute abdomen can be diagnosed and treated with a laparotomy surgery, which is performed to localize, identify, and correct the intestinal lesion [4]. Surgical laparotomy techniques performed in horses with signology of acute abdominal syndrome may include at the discretion of the surgeon, manipulation of the jejunum or other tubular organs to perform the correction, other techniques of laparotomy as a surgical approach, and hand-assisted laparoscopic correction exist [5]. The degree of pain and thickness of the intestinal wall at jejunum level varies according to the technique used [6]. To date, there are no studies in horses with or without sinology of acute abdominal syndrome that indicates the degree of pain caused by the jejunal manipulation or the increase in the thickness of the intestinal wall based on physical and ultrasound techniques. It is therefore necessary to carry out evaluations of the effect of manipulation on horses without acute abdominal syndrome, in order to identify the effect of manipulation.
Laparotomy techniques commonly used by the clinician are exploratory laparotomy, laparotomy with enterotomy, and laparotomy with enterectomy [7]. Hopster-Iversen et al [8] suggested that inflammation of the small intestine or intestinal manipulation can result in disease. Currently, the postoperative effects including inflammation and degree of pain generated by surgical manipulation of the jejunum during each of the surgical procedures mentioned above have not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of jejunal manipulation in the three surgical techniques using physical, clinical, and echographic parameters in horses without acute abdomen.
Section snippets
Animals and Experimental Treatments
The study included 15 male, intact or castrated, mixed breed horses with an average age of 10.5 years and average weight of 183.5 kg. The bioethics and animal welfare commission of the FMVZ—UAEMex approved the investigation. The horses were transported to the Large Species Hospital of the UAEMex, according to the eighth section of the Official Mexican Norm NOM-024-ZOO-1995 [9], animal health specifications and features for the transport of animals, their products and by-products, chemical,
Presurgical Evaluation of Physical, Clinical, and Echographic Parameters
When comparing the laparotomy techniques mentioned above, no statistically differences were observed. There were no statistically differences in the heart rates (P = .98) nor in respiratory rate (P = .41). The degree of pain was zero in the three groups. Jejunal wall thickness was not different among groups (P = .74).
When making a comparison between the laparotomy techniques, no statistically differences were identified in any of the variables. No differences were observed for G1, G2, and G3 in
Discussion
In the equine population in this study, an increased heart rate during the enterectomy technique with an average of 45 beats per minute was identified. Moore and Moore [16] reported that the heart rate is a very sensitive indicator of pain, hypovolemia, and endotoxic shock in horses. Proudman et al [3] reported a heart rate of 50 ± 19 beats/min between 15 and 25 hours after abdominal surgery in 341 horses aged 10 ± 6.4 years old. The highest heart rate value recorded was 45 beats/min in horses
Conclusions
The laparotomy surgical techniques is one of the most common procedures performed on horses hospitalized due to signology of acute abdominal syndrome. The manipulation of the jejunal during the enterectomy technique increased heart rate and pain level in the first 24 hours which returned to normal at 72 hours postoperatively. The comparison of the different surgical techniques performed in this study shows that the enterectomy technique is the procedure with the greatest adverse effects in the
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Pharmacological Regulation in the USA and Pharmacokinetics Parameters of Firocoxib, a Highly Selective Cox-2, by Pain Management in Horses
2019, Journal of Equine Veterinary ScienceCitation Excerpt :They are among the most important drugs used in all species of animals [1]. In horses, they are highly effective for the treatment of a variety of common diseases [3] used in the regime of acute or chronic pain, endotoxemia associated with colic [1], and pain management before surgery [4]. Different COX1 or COX2 inhibitors can be administered for the treatment of painful inflammatory conditions in animal species like the horses [5].
Animal welfare/ethical statement: All methods and procedures used in this study were in compliance with the guidelines of the Mexican law “Official Mexican Standard # 062-ZOO-1999 of the technical specifications for production, care and use of laboratory animals”. On the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, and were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee for the Care and Use and Animals of university of Autonomous of State Mexico, México.
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that they don’t have any conflict of interest.