title: Factors associated with prognosis for survival and athletic use in foals with septic arthritis: 93 cases (1987-1994).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify factors affecting the prognosis for survival and athletic use in foals with septic arthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  93 foals with septic arthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records were reviewed to obtain clinical findings, laboratory test results, radiographic findings, treatment method, and outcome. Race records for Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds were evaluated to determine whether foals subsequently raced and whether they raced successfully.
  
  
  RESULTS
  43 foals had 1 affected joint, 44 foals had multiple affected joints, and number of affected joints was not recorded for 6 foals. The femoropatellar and tarsocrural joints were most commonly affected. Osteomyelitis or degenerative joint disease were detected in 59% (46/78) of foals. Failure of passive transfer, pneumonia, and enteritis were common. Foals were treated with lavage, lavage and intra-articular administration of antibiotics, lavage and arthroscopic debridement with or without partial synovectomy, or lavage and arthrotomy to debride infected bone and systemic administration of antibiotics. Seventy-three foals survived to be discharged from hospital, and approximately a third raced. Isolation of Salmonella spp from synovial fluid was associated with an unfavorable prognosis for survival and multisystem disease was associated with an unfavorable prognosis for survival and ability to race; other variables were not significantly associated with survival and ability to race.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With treatment, the prognosis for survival of foals with septic arthritis was favorable, whereas prognosis for ability to race was unfavorable. Multisystem disease, isolation of Salmonella spp from synovial fluid, involvement of multiple joints, and synovial fluid neutrophil count > or = 95% at admission may be of prognostic value.
authors.affiliation: Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Clinical Science, Murdoch University, Australia.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Steel
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chicken
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Yovich
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Stick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D006736:Horses; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D011379:Prognosis; D011996:Records / Q000662:veterinary; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013177:Sports; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology