Sixty foals with synovial sepsis were used for our retrospective study in which medical records, online data and telephone interviews were utilised to analyse prognostic factors, and determine short- and long-term survival and athletic performance of foals treated at Evidensia Equine Specialist Hospital, Helsingborg, between 2008 and 2014.
Overall survival to discharge was 80% (48/60).
Time to long-term follow-up ranged from 6 months to 6.5 years.
Forty/60 (67%) horses survived long-term.
Four/8 (50%) of the nonsurvivors at long-term follow-up had been subjected to euthanasia due to sequelae of joint sepsis.
Of the long-term survivors, 37/40 (92.5%) achieved athletic soundness.
Overall long-term outcome for athletic soundness was 37/60 (62%).
Prognostic factors based on historical, clinical or laboratory data, or the use of through-and-through needle lavage compared to endoscopic lavage as the first procedure, could not be identified.
The present study demonstrates a more favourable prognosis than previously reported, with 80% of foals with synovial sepsis surviving to discharge, and approximately 60% achieving athletic soundness.
However, the study was limited by a small population size, which may account for the failure to verify statistically significant prognostic factors.
Source: Wright, L., Ekstrøm, C. T., Kristoffersen, M. and Lindegaard, C. (2016), Haematogenous septic arthritis in foals: Short- and long-term outcome and analysis of factors affecting prognosis. Equine Veterinary Education. doi: 10.1111/eve.12616
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