Monitoring acute equine visceral pain with the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Composite Pain Assessment (EQUUS-COMPASS) and the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-FAP): A validation study.
This study presents the validation of two recently described pain scales, the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Composite Pain Assessment (EQUUS-COMPASS) and the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-FAP), in horses with acute colic. A follow-up cohort study of 46 adult horses (n = 23 with acute colic; n = 23 healthy control horses) was performed for validation and refinement of the constructed scales. Both pain scales showed statistically significant differences between horses with colic and healthy control horses, and between horses with colic that could be treated conservatively and those that required surgical treatment or were euthanased. Sensitivity and specificity were good for both EQUUS-COMPASS (87% and 71%, respectively) and EQUUS-FAP (77% and 100%, respectively) and were not substantially influenced by applying weighting factors to the individual parameters.
Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 114, NL-3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands; Veterinary Faculty Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Veterinary Sciences Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium; Equus Research and Therapy, Tolnegenweg 39, 3776PT Stroe, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.vandierendonck@uu.nl.
Machteld C
MC
VanDierendonck
Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 114, NL-3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Johannes P A M
JP
van Loon
D059787:Acute Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D003085:Colic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006736:Horses; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D059265:Visceral Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*
Colic; Equine; Facial; Pain scale