title: After-hours equine emergency admissions at a university referral hospital (1998-2007): causes and interventions.
abstract: Medical records of equine after-hours admissions from 1998 to 2007 are reviewed. Data extracted from the medical records included signalment, reason for admission, pre-admission treatment, clinical presentation, procedures performed, final diagnoses, complications occurring in hospital, length of stay and outcome. Eight hundred and twenty after-hours admissions were available of which 75% were classified as emergencies. Most horses originated from Gauteng province (82%), with Thoroughbred, Arabian, and Warmbloods representing 46%, 10% and 7% of horses. Horses had a median age of 7 years and were predominantly male (60%). Gastrointestinal (64%) and musculoskeletal (19%) disorders were the primary reasons for admission. Anti-inflammatories, sedation and antibiotics were given in 51%, 20% and 15% of cases respectively prior to referral. On admission, 23% of horses had surgical intervention. Intravenous catheterisation (64%), rectal examination (61%), nasogastric intubation (56%), abdominocentesis (33%) and ultrasonography (19%) were the procedures performed most frequently. Surgical and medical colics constituted 28% and 27% respectively of the overall diagnoses, while piroplasmosis was diagnosed in 5% of horses. Post-admission complications occurred in <2% of horses. The median length of stay was 4 days (95% CI: 1 to 21 days). Overall survival to discharge was 74%. This study demonstrates that the majority of after-hours equine admissions to a university referral hospital required medical intervention and were mostly due to gastrointestinal disorders. Information obtained from this study can be used in emergency referral planning.
authors.affiliation: Section of Equine Medicine, Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, 0110 South Africa.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viljoen
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Saulez
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Donnellan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bester
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gummow
mesh_terms: D039602:After-Hours Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000818:Animals; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006736:Horses; D006762:Hospitals, Animal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome