EQUINE | Abstracts
Short‐term outcome and risk factors for post‐operative
complications following umbilical resection in 82 foals
(2004–2016)
L. Reig Codina, S. R. Werre, J. A. Brown
First published: 14 September 2018
Background
Umbilical remnant infection and patent urachus are an
important cause of morbidity for the equine neonate.
Left untreated, fatal complications can develop.
Identifying risk factors for post‐operative complications
after surgery are important for estimating prognosis.
Objectives
To identify risk factors associated with post‐operative
complications in foals undergoing umbilical remnant
resection due to patent and/or infected umbilical
remnants.
and/or infected in 84.1% of cases. Concurrent diseases
were present in 60.6% of foals prior to surgery, with
diarrhoea and septic arthritis being most common. The
presence of preoperative septic arthritis and/or physitis
were significantly associated with nonsurvival (OR 33;
95% confidence interval 1.1–985.2; P = 0.04). Longer
anaesthesia time (OR 1.4; 95% confidence interval
1.1–1.7; P = 0.02) and failure of passive transfer of
immunoglobulins (OR 5.9; 95% confidence interval
1.2–29.04; P = 0.03) were associated with increased
odds for post‐operative complications.
Main limitations
It is not known if medical treatment alone would
have been successful in foals that did not receive
preoperative medical treatment.
Study design
Retrospective case series.
Methods
Foals undergoing umbilical remnant resection due
to patent urachus or infected remnants at the Marion
duPont Scott Equine Medical Center from 2004 to
2016 were included in the study. Data were obtained
from medical records and associations between
outcomes and post‐operative complications, and pre
or intraoperative clinical variables were assessed using
bivariable and multivariable analyses.
Conclusions
Overall survival is high after surgical excision of
umbilical remnants. The presence of preoperative
septic arthritis and/or physitis was associated with
decreased survival and failure of passive transfer of
immunoglobulins and longer anaesthesia times were
associated with increased odds for post‐operative
complications.
Results
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13021
Eighty‐two foals underwent umbilical remnant resection
of which 73 (89.0%) survived to discharge. The urachus
was the most commonly affected structure being patent
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