Antimicrobial Pharmacology for the Neonatal Foal.
Neonatal foals are at high risk of developing sepsis, which can be life-threatening. Early antimicrobial use is a critical component of the treatment of sepsis. Because the neonatal foal has unique pharmacologic physiology, antimicrobial choice and dosing are often different than in adult horses. Broad-spectrum, bactericidal, and intravenous antimicrobials should be considered first-line therapy for septic foals. A combination of aminoglycoside and beta-lactam antimicrobial or third-generation cephalosporin is an excellent empirical first choice for treating septic foals, until culture and susceptibility results are available. Renal function should be monitored carefully in foals being treated with aminoglycosides.
Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA. Electronic address: kgmagdesian@ucdavis.edu.
K Gary
KG
Magdesian
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006736:Horses; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents
Antibiotics; Antimicrobials; Equine; Neonatal foal; Pharmacokinetics; Pharmacology; Sepsis