Equine cardiorespiratory Flashcards
What is the aerobic capacity of a horse?
150ml/kg/min
Define minute ventilation
Tidal volume x breaths/min
What is perfusion?
Removal of gas from the lungs by the blood
CO2 is how many times more diffusible than O2?
25
CO2 is mostly transported in the blood as what?
HCO3-
Give some factors that would reduce pulmonary gas exchange and examples of diseases that cause them
Increased pulmonary resistance (URT disorders, turbulence, resistance, small airways- inflammation, blood, hypersecretion)
Decreased alveolar/pulmonary compliance (oedema, hypertension, fibrosis, interstitial disease)
Dynamic airway collapse (inflammatory airway disease, tracheal collapse)
Respiratory muscle/chest wall disease
Decreased cardiac output (decreased lung or tissue perfusion)
Decreased Hb (anaemia)
What is EIPH?
Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage
Haemorrhage into the airways that occurs at high intensity exercise
How do you diagnose EIPH?
Post-exercise endoscopy into trachea (30-60 mins after exercise; 3 consecutive endoscopies give a better prevalence- 80%)
Can also do bronchoalveolar lavage (look for free RBCs and RBCs ingested by macrophages-haemosiderophages)
Describe EIPH distribution in the lungs
Give a histological description
Blue discolouration (accumulation of haemosiderin) Lesions start caudally and progress craniodorsally Histologically: peribronchial inflammation and fibrosis
Briefly describe the 4 grades of EIPH
Grade 1: flecks of blood/single short stream extending less than a quarter of the tracheal length
Grade 2: one continuous stream of blood extending at least 1/2 the length of the trachea or multiple streams less than 1/3 of the tracheal surface
Grade 3: continuous stream less than half the tracheal width
Grade 4: abundant blood completely covering the tracheal surfaceand pooling at the thoracic inlet
What may predispose a horse to EIPH?
High pulmonary vascular pressure
Give some events that may cause EIPH
Extreme vascular pressures High inspiratory pressures Inflammation Locomotory shockwaves Regional differences in dynamic compliance
How does EIPH lead to fibrosis?
Intrapulmonary blood invokes influx of macrophages -> reversible disruption of alveolar septal architecture -> thickening and fibrosis -> reduces compliance
Give some common and fairly common differential diagnoses of LRT in adult horses
Very common: Recurrent airway obstruction/’Heaves’ (RAO)
Inflammatory airway disease (IAD)
Viral and bacterial infections
Fairly common: Exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH)
Pleuropneumonia
Aspiration pneumonia
Give some uncommon causes of LRT disease in adult horses
Pulmonary abscesses Lungworm Tracheal stenosis/collapse Interstitial pneumonia Pulmonary nodular fibrosis Neoplasia African Horse sickness/other exotic diseases
Which 2 diseases compromise ‘allergic’ airway disease in horses or ‘equine asthma’?
Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO/heaves)
Inflammatory airway disease (IAD)
Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is associated with which kind of allergens?
What age of horses are typically affected?
Indoor allergens eg organic dusts from hay and bedding, molds, bacteria Hypersensitivity, non-specific inflammatory response Older horses (>7 years old)
Briefly describe the pathogenesis of RAO (recurrent airway obstruction)
Allergens in bronchi -> inflammation -> muscarinic receptors inititate smooth muscle contraction -> bronchoconstriction
Inflammation -> B2 adrenergic receptors cause reduced bronchodilation -> bronchoconstriction
-> Decreased mucociliary escalator function, mucosal hyperplasia, inflammatory infiltrate/oedema, increased mucous production
Give the pathogenesis of chronic RAO
Smooth muscle hypertrophy Peribronchiolar fibrosis Epithelial cell hyperplasia Mucus plugging -> airway remodelling -> progressive impairment of lung function
Give the clinical signs of recurrent airway obstruction
Early: mild exercise intolerance
With time: tachypnoea, increased expiratory effort, cough, nostril flare, nasal discharge
Expiratory+/- inspiratory wheeze
Forced expiration -> ‘heaves’, heave line
Severe cases: respiratory distress/weight loss
How do you diagnose recurrent airway obstruction?
Tracheal aspirate cytology (neutrophils >40%)
Bronchoalveolar lavage cytology (neutrophils >25%)
Response to IV atropine supports diagnosis
Mucus score
How do you treat recurrent airway obstruction?
Short-term: bronchodilators, corticosteroids
Long-term: environmental control-reduce dust, moulds, best for horses to live outside, pelleted feeds/pasture, low dust bedding, maximise ventilation
How do corticosteroids aid in treating recurrent airway obstruction?
Give some examples
Reduce cell accumulation and activation Reduce vascular changes Reduce bronchoconstriction (inhibit release of inflammatory cytokines)
Prednisolone (PO)
Dexamethosone (PO)
Beclomethasone dipropionate (inhaled)
When would you give a bronchodilator to a horse with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO)?
Emergency therapy in flare ups Before other inhaled medication Before exercise Diagnostically to see if signs improve (Don't use as sole therapy)
Give some examples of bronchodilators when treating recurrent airway obstruction
B2 agonists (cause bronchodilation): Clenbuterol (PO), salbutamol (inhaler)
Muscarinic antagonists (smooth muscle relaxation):
Atropine
NBB (buscopan)
Ipratropium bromide (inhaled)
Give some pros and cons of inhalation therapy when treating recurrent airway obstruction (RAO)
Pros: lower total dose, rapid onset, fewer systemic side effects, shorter detection times
Cons: expensive, owner compliance, distribution of drug if dyspnoeic
What are spacers (used for treating recurrent airway obstruction and inflammatory airway disease)?
Inhaled medications that reach the lungs and have a high local concentration
What is pleuropneumonia?
Bacterial pneumonia and secondary pleural effusion
Give some bacteria that may cause pleuropneumonia
Aerobic: B haemolytic strep spp Actinobacillus spp Pasteurellaecae Pseudomonas
Anaerobes:
Bacterioides
Fusobacterium
Eubacterium
Give some predisposing factors to pleuropneumonia
Long distance transport (head elevation, aspiration of dust/debris)
Viral respiratory disease (damages resp. epithelium)
Exercise (EIPH, aspiration of debris)
GA/surgery
Give the 3 stages of pleuropneumonia
- Acute exudative stage (inflammation of the lung and pleura-sterile, protein-rich pleural exudate)
- Fibrinopurulent stage (bacteria invade and multiply in the pleural fluid, fibrin deposits on pleural surfaces, lymphatic obstruction)
- Organisational stage
How do you diagnose pleuropneumonia?
Ultrasound
Thoracocentesis
Culture
Transtracheal wash
What are the clinical signs of pleuropneumonia?
Pyrexia Depression Increased HR and RR Soft cough Pleurodynia Reduced lung sounds ventrally, dull on percussion
How do you treat pleuropneumonia?
Thoracic drainage
Antimicrobials (penicillin, gentamicin, metronidazole if complicated)
What is the name of the equine lungworm?
What is the reservoir of infection for horses?
Dictyocaulus amfieldi
Donkeys
How do you identify equine lungworm?
How do you treat it?
Identification of worms in tracheal wash or BAL
Ivermectins
Aspiration pneumonia is commonly secondary to which conditions?
Oesophageal choke
Gastric reflux
Pharyngeal dysphagia
Iatrogenic
Which lung lobes are most affected by aspiration pneumonia?
Ventral
What causes multinodular pulmonary fibrosis?
Equine herpes virus-5
Give some examples of thoracic neoplasias
Cranial mediastinal lymphosarcoma Pulmonary granular cell tumour Malignant melanoma Haemangiosarcoma Metastatic adenocarcinoma Metastatic carcinoma
How could you determine if a horse has an infectious respiratory disease?
Compatible clinical signs (fever, dull, outbreaks)
Detection of infectious agent (culture/PCR/virus isolation)
Detection of immune response against infectious agent (antibodies)
Give some clinical signs of equine influenza
Fever up to 41oC Cough: dry and hacking -> moist Oedema and hyperaemia of URT/trachea Nasal discharge: serous -> mucopurulent Lethargy, inappetence +/- muscle soreness
Recovery is usually complete in 1-3 weeks unless secondary infections occur
How do you diagnose equine influenza?
Usually outbreaks
Lymphopaenia (neutropaenia initially, later monocytosis, neutrophilia and hyperfibrinogenaemia)
Virus isolation from nasopharyngeal swabs (PCR)
Serology (rising antibody titre over 2-4 weeks)
How do you treat equine influenza?
Hydration, NSAIDs
+/- antibiotics for secondary bacterial infections
Generally improve after 7-10 days
Require prolonged period of rest (1 week off for every day of fever)
How long do horses excrete equine influenza virus for after initial infection?
Up to 8 days
How long can equine influenza virus survive in the environment?
Up to 36 hours
Easily killed by cleaning/disinfection
Give the clinical signs of equine herpes virus 1 and 4
Dull +/- mild coughing/serous nasal discharge
Often lasts several weeks
How do you treat equine herpes virus 1 and 4?
Symptomatic
Rest, NSAIDs, antibiotics for secondary infections
What causes ‘rattles’?
Rhodococcus equi
Summarise rhodococcus equi infection
Most common in 3 week - 6 month old foals
Causes pyogranulomatous pneumonia
Diagnosis by clinical signs and detection of R.equi by culture/PCR
Treatment= prolonged antimicrobials /
What causes ‘strangles’?
Streptococcus equi var equi
What kind of horses does strangles affect?
1-3 year olds usually
What is the incubation period of strangles?
1-14 days
What are the 2 phases that follow initial infection with strangles?
Multiplication in the lingual and palatine tonsils
Haematogenous and lymphatic spread to draining lymph nodes
What is ‘bastard strangles”?
If the bacteria spreads systemically, then abscesses may form in muscle, kidneys, liver or lungs, or may cause peritonitis
How long can streptococcus equi survive in the environment?
Up to 12 months
How is streptococcus equi spread?
Via nose or mouth contact, fomites
What are the early clinical signs of Strangles?
Depression, fever (2-3 days before shedding)
Mucoid nasal discharge
Slight cough
Anorexia
Difficulty swallowing
Swelling (slight) in intermandibular space
Give some further clinical signs of strangles
Purulent nasal discharge
Head lymph node enlargement, abscesses and purulent discharge
Retropharyngeal lymph node swelling -> dyspnoea. If ruptures -> gutteral pouch empyema -> chondroids
What are chondroids?
Where are they found?
How can you remove them?
The product of chronic gutteral pouch empyema
Found in the gutteral pouch
Remove by breaking up and flushing or surgery
Give some complications of strangles
Cellulitis and local tissue damage
Pneumonia and abscessation
Immune-mediated myositis/myocarditis
Purpura haemorrhagica (bleeding from capillaries -> red spots on skin and mucous membranes, plus oedema of limbs and head)
How do you diagnose strangles?
Culture or PCR from: -Nasopharyngeal swabs/lavage -Gutteral pouch washes/aspirates -Aspirate from abscess ELISA
How can you confirm that a horse is free of strangles?
Nasal swabs: 3 negative swabs (1 a week for 3 weeks) (85% sure)
Gutteral pouch wash: only need 1 negative to be 88% sure that the horse is free of infection