PATHOLOGY - Equine Lower Respiratory Disease Flashcards
What are seven general signs of respiratory disease in horses?
Cough
Nasal discharge
Altered respiratory rate, rhythm and/or effort
Respiratory noise
Altered airflow at the nostrils
Poor performance
Weight loss
Which questions can be useful to ask when gathering a history if you suspect respiratory disease?
Vaccinations/deworming?
Duration of the clinical signs?
Seasonality of the clinical signs?
Has any poor performance been sudden or progressive?
Any recent travel?
Are any other horses affected?
Ask questions about the enviornment the horse lives in?
What should you do during subjective observation of a horse with suspected respiratory disease?
Assess the environment such as ventilation, bedding and forage
Assess respiratory rate, rhythm and effort
What is the normal respiratory rate for a horse?
8 - 16 breaths per minute
What can be indicative of increased respiratory effort in horses?
Biphasic breathing pattern noticable at rest
What are three key signs of dyspnoea in horses?
Nostril flaring
Increased abdominal effort
Noise on inhalation/exhalation
What is indicated by rapid, deep breathing in the horse?
Rapid, deep breathing indicates respiratory distress
What is indicated by rapid, shallow breathing in the horse?
Rapid, shallow breathing can indicate pain, particularly pleural pain
What is indicated by slow, deep breathing in the horse?
Slow, deep breathing can indicate an underlying disease process such as equine asthma
Which eight factors should you assess during the clinical exam of the head and neck in a horse with suspected respiratory disease?
Assess for nasal discharge
Assess airflow at the nostrils
Palpate the lymph nodes
Assess facial symmetry
Assess for ocular discharge
Palpate the trachea
Auscultate the trachea
Listen for any upper respiratory noise
Which lymph nodes should you palpate on a horse?
Submandibular lymph nodes
Retropharyngeal lymph nodes
What is a tracheal pinch test?
If you pinch the trachea and this elicits a cough, this can be indicative of tracheal sensitivity
What is indicated by unilateral nasal discharge in horses?
Unilateral nasal discharge in horses is typically associated with disease of the sinuses or nasal passages
What is indicated by bilateral nasal discharge in horses?
Bilateral nasal discharge in horses is typically associated with disease of the lower respiratory tract
What are the different classifications of nasal discharge?
Mucoid
Mucopurulent
Epistaxis (blood)
What can be indicated by epistaxis at rest in horses?
Guttural pouch mycosis
Ethmoidal haematoma
Nasal polyp
What can be indicated by epistaxis during exercise?
Exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage
Why might you get epistaxis following nasogastric intubation in the horse?
Nasogastric intubation can cause ethmoidal trauma and haemorrhage
What are the boudaries for equine thoracic auscultation?
What can be indicated by wheezes at the end of exhalation on equine thoracic auscultation?
Wheezes at the end of exhalation can indicate equine asthma
What can be indicated by pleural friction rubs on equine thoracic auscultation?
Pleural friction rubs sound like sandpaper
Pleural friction rubs can indicate pleuritis
What can be indicated by the absence of lung sounds on equine thoracic auscultation?
The absence of lung sounds can indicate pleural effusion or pneumothorax
What is a rebreathing exam?
A rebreathing exam involves placing a bag over the horse’s nose and mouth for one minute, which allows for the build-up of carbon dioxide stimulating the horse to take deeper breaths. It should then be easier to detect lung sounds on thoracic auscultation
(T/F) Coughing is normal during and following a rebreathing exam?
FALSE. Coughing is abnormal during and following a rebreathing exam
When should avoid doing a rebreathing exam?
Avoid doing a rebreathing exam if the horse is in respiratory distress
Which diagnostic tests can you do to investigate respiratory disease in a horse?
Endoscopy
Infectious disease sampling
Lower respiratory sampling and cytology
Ultrasound
Radiography
Thoracocentesis
How do you grade tracheal secretions seen during endoscopy?
Grade 0: No visible mucus
Grade 1: Single to multiple small blobs of mucus
Grade 2: Larger but non-coalescing blobs of mucus
Grade 3: Coalescing or stream forming mucus
Grade 4: Pool forming mucus
Grade 5: Profuse mucus
How should the guttural pouches appear on endoscopy?
The guttural pouches should appear transparent
There may be areas of black in horses with a dark coat due to melanocyte
When should you not assess the larynx during endoscopy?
If the horse has been sedated, as this can impede results
Which sampling method do you use for infectious disease sampling?
Nasopharangeal swab
Which sampling methods do you use for lower respiratory sampling and cytology?
Tracheal wash
Bronchoalveolar lavage
What is the main benefit of carrying out a tracheal wash?
Because respiratory secretions are brought up from the lungs via mucocilliary clearance, the sample obtained from the tracheal wash will be representative of all areas of the lungs
What are the two methods that can be used to carry out a tracheal wash?
Trans-tracheal (percutaneous) wash
Trans-endoscopic tracheal wash
How do you carry out a trans-tracheal (percutaneous) wash?
- Sedate your patient
- Palpate the ventral midline of the neck and carry out sterile prep instill local anaesthetic onto the area
- Carry out a small incision at the level of the tracheal ‘sump’ between two tracheal rings
- Insert the introduction catheter through the incision and into the trachea
- Thread the long collection catheter through the introduction catheter and when it is correctly positioned, slowly infuse 20ml of sterile saline and then start aspirating slowly
What kind of tube do you submit a tracheal wash sample in?
EDTA tube
What are the benefits of using an opioid in combination with the sedative drug when carrying out a trans-tracheal (percutaneous) wash?
Opioids are antitussive and thus will reduce coughing which could potentially displace the tracheal puddle, making it more difficult to aspirate
Why can you use a trans-tracheal (percutaneous) sample for both cytology and culture?
A trans-tracheal (percutanous) wash is done aseptically and thus there is minimal risk of contamination
Which two types of catheter can be used for trans-endoscopic tracheal wash?
Single lumen catheter
Triple lumen catheter
Which catheter should you use for a trans-endoscopic tracheal wash if you want to send the sample for cytology and culture?
Triple lumen catheter to reduce the risk of contamination
Which bacteria can commonly contaminate tracheal wash samples?
Pseudomonas
Which two cell types should mainly be found in a tracheal wash sample?
Macrophages
Lymphocytes
What is the normal percentage of neutrophils present in a tracheal wash sample on cytology?
Less than 20%
(T/F) Travelling or housed horses can briefly have up to 50% neutrophils in a tracheal wash sample
TRUE. However these levels will be expected to decrease with no clinical signs
What information can be provided by bronchoalveolar lavage?
Bronchoalveolar lavage is done blind and often samples from the right dorsocaudal lobe. This will provide information if there is a diffuse pathology, however there is a risk of missing more focal pathology
What is the main sign of a successful bronchoalveolar lavage?
If you have managed to aspirate surfactant you know you have samples the distal bronchioles and alveoli
(T/F) Bronchoalveolar lavage samples are appropriate for both cytology and culture
FALSE. Bronchoalveolar lavage is only appropriate for collecting cytology samples
Which two cell types should mainly be found in a bronchoalveolar lavage sample?
Macrophages
Lymphocytes
What is the normal percentage of neutrophils present in a bronchoalveolar lavage sample on cytology?
Less than 5%
What are three key indicators of infectious respiratory disease in horses?
Pyrexia
Enlarged lymph nodes
Other horses affected
What is the most common bacteria that causes infectious respiratory disease in horses?
Streptococcus equi
Which disease is caused by streptococcis equi?
Strangles
(T/F) Streptococcus equi is a gram positive bacteria
TRUE.
Which signalement is particulalrly prone to streptococcus equi infection?
Young, immunologically naive horses
Describe the pathogenesis of acute streptococcus equi infection
Streptococcus equi enters the body via the mouth or nose causing pyrexia and pharangitis, and invades the upper respiratory tract lymph nodes causing lymph node abscesses
Why is acute streptococcus equi infection not often treated with antibiotics?
Acute streptococcus equi is not often treated with antibiotics and antibiotics cannot penetrate the abscesses
What is the prognosis for a horse with acute streptococcus equi infection?
Generally the abscesses will burst and the horse will clear the infection and make a full recovery
Describe the pathogenesis of carrier/chronic streptococcus equi infection
Streptococcus equi enters the body via the mouth or nose causing pyrexia and pharangitis, and invades the upper respiratory tract lymph nodes causing lymph node abscesses. When the abscesses burst, some of the pus can enter the guttural pouches and not be fully cleared by the body, resulting in a carrier/chronic infection