Fatalities within seven days after equine standing sedation: A prospective, multicentre study

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Equine Surgery
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Mortality data for standing equine procedures is limited.
• Standing sedation is increasingly utilized for equine surgeries and diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze mortality data from a large cohort of over 12,000 standing sedations in horses.
• To identify risk factors and outcomes associated with standing sedation in equine patients.

Main Methods:

• A confidential, observational, prospective, multicenter cohort study involving 12,307 standing sedations across 61 centers in 23 countries.
• Data collected via questionnaire (PDF evolving to webpage) on horses/ponies undergoing sedation for surgery or advanced diagnostic imaging.
• Outcomes (Alive, Euthanasia, Dead) recorded at seven days, with statistical analysis performed using R.

Main Results:

• Overall mortality rate was 0.15% (19/12,307), with 0.13% for non-colic and a significantly higher 4.29% for colic cases.
• Leading causes of death in non-colic cases included abdominal complications (62.5%) and fractures (18.75%).
• Commonly used drugs included detomidine and butorphanol; fluid therapy and loco-regional anesthesia were underutilized, and monitoring was minimal.

Conclusions:

• Standing sedation in horses is not without risk, and unexpected deaths can occur within seven days.
• Mortality rates, particularly in colic cases, highlight the need for further research and improved safety measures.
• Limitations include sample size, potential selection bias, and data collection methods.