TY - JOUR

T1 - Short-term survival and mortality rates in a retrospective study of colic in 1588 Danish horses

AU - Christophersen, Mogens Teken

AU - Dupont, Nana Hee

AU - Berg-Sørensen, Kristina S.

AU - Konnerup, Christel

AU - Pihl, Tina Holberg

AU - Andersen, Pia H.

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Background: Outcomes of colic treatment are of great interest to clinicians, horse owners and insurers. Onecommonly used criterion of success is the overall short-term survival rate. This is used as to compare treatmentsand to measure quality of veterinary care, but may be biased by demographic or social factors such as attitudestowards animal suffering and euthanasia. The aims of this study were to 1) describe and analyse characteristics inhorses with signs of colic referred to the University Hospital for Large Animals (UHLA), University of Copenhagen,Denmark over a 10-year period and 2) to compare these rates with those published in other comparable studies.Results: The overall survival rate for colic horses over the 10-year study period was 68% (confidence intervals(CI): 66 – 71%; 1087/1588). In the medical group, 1093 horses, short-term survival was 87% (CI: 85 – 89%). Thirtyone % of referred horses were given diagnoses requiring surgical intervention (CI: 29 – 33%). In this group 32% ofthe horses were euthanized before surgery (CI: 28 – 36%; 159/495). Of the surgical cases 27% (CI: 23-31%) wereeuthanized or died during surgery. Of the horses that recovered from surgery 25% died or were euthanized(CI: 19 – 32%; 48/189), while 75% survived to discharge (CI: 68 – 81%).Conclusions: The short term survival rates of Danish horses with colic were similar or lower to those reported fromother countries. Apart from variability of veterinary care, attitudes towards euthanasia vary among the countries,which may bias the outcomes. This study indicates that qualitative interview studies on owners ’ attitudes towardsanimal suffering and euthanasia need to be conducted. Our opinion is that survival rates are not valid as soleindicators of quality of care in colic treatment due to selection bias. If the survival rates are to be comparedbetween hospitals, techniques or surgeons, prospective studies including mutually agreed-on disease severity scoresand a predefined set of reasons for euthanasia are needed.

AB - Background: Outcomes of colic treatment are of great interest to clinicians, horse owners and insurers. Onecommonly used criterion of success is the overall short-term survival rate. This is used as to compare treatmentsand to measure quality of veterinary care, but may be biased by demographic or social factors such as attitudestowards animal suffering and euthanasia. The aims of this study were to 1) describe and analyse characteristics inhorses with signs of colic referred to the University Hospital for Large Animals (UHLA), University of Copenhagen,Denmark over a 10-year period and 2) to compare these rates with those published in other comparable studies.Results: The overall survival rate for colic horses over the 10-year study period was 68% (confidence intervals(CI): 66 – 71%; 1087/1588). In the medical group, 1093 horses, short-term survival was 87% (CI: 85 – 89%). Thirtyone % of referred horses were given diagnoses requiring surgical intervention (CI: 29 – 33%). In this group 32% ofthe horses were euthanized before surgery (CI: 28 – 36%; 159/495). Of the surgical cases 27% (CI: 23-31%) wereeuthanized or died during surgery. Of the horses that recovered from surgery 25% died or were euthanized(CI: 19 – 32%; 48/189), while 75% survived to discharge (CI: 68 – 81%).Conclusions: The short term survival rates of Danish horses with colic were similar or lower to those reported fromother countries. Apart from variability of veterinary care, attitudes towards euthanasia vary among the countries,which may bias the outcomes. This study indicates that qualitative interview studies on owners ’ attitudes towardsanimal suffering and euthanasia need to be conducted. Our opinion is that survival rates are not valid as soleindicators of quality of care in colic treatment due to selection bias. If the survival rates are to be comparedbetween hospitals, techniques or surgeons, prospective studies including mutually agreed-on disease severity scoresand a predefined set of reasons for euthanasia are needed.

KW - Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

KW - Equine colic

KW - Surgery

KW - Survival

KW - Euthanasia

KW - Disease Severity Score

KW - quality of care

U2 - 10.1186/1751-0147-56-20

DO - 10.1186/1751-0147-56-20

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24712831

VL - 56

JO - Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

JF - Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

SN - 0044-605X

M1 - 20

ER -