Veterinary Record最新文献

People presenting with an animal bite are often dealt with in the emergency room but, as new research shows, when they move to major trauma services, they can have a substantial impact on hospital time. Josh Loeb reports.

Background: Most studies on colic surgery outcome focus on short-term survival and complications. Long-term outcomes, particularly post-discharge morbidity, are poorly characterised despite their relevance. No standardised system has previously integrated both short- and long-term postoperative complications with survival outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate long-term survival and morbidity in horses after colic surgery using the equine postoperative complication score (EPOCS), and to assess the association between complications and survival.

Methods: The medical records of horses undergoing colic surgery between January 2017 and March 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Long-term follow-up (≥4 years) was obtained via telephone. Complications were scored using the EPOCS.

Results: Of the 244 horses undergoing surgery, 203 were discharged, and 176 were successfully followed up. Post-discharge complications occurred in 44.8%, with colic being the most common. Pre-discharge EPOCS was negatively correlated with long-term survival (r = -0.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.40 to 0.09, p = 0.002). Total EPOCS was also inversely associated with survival (r = -0.19, 95% CI: -0.35 to -0.02, p = 0.02). Post-discharge EPOCS was not associated with survival. Lesion type, intestinal segment and resection did not significantly affect survival.

Limitations: The retrospective design, owner-reported follow-up and single-centre data limit generalisability and underrepresent minor complications.

Conclusions: Long-term survival in horses with colic is favourable; however, postoperative complications are common and prognostically relevant. EPOCS provides a structured method for quantifying morbidity and may support future comparisons between surgical techniques and management strategies.

The BVA Awards are back for 2026, including three new awards. With nominations now being invited, Georgina Mills explains the categories open to inspirational vets and vet teams.

Background: Coxiella burnetii is a bacterial pathogen that can cause abortion and reproductive disease in livestock. In the UK, C. burnetii affects many dairy cattle herds, although the infection dynamics are poorly understood. Our study was performed to investigate infection patterns within a dairy cattle herd in Scotland that had experienced stillbirths attributed to C. burnetii infection.

Methods: Different management groups within the affected herd were sampled. Serology and qPCR testing of vaginal swabs were performed to investigate infection status. Regression analyses were performed to evaluate associations between diagnostic results and variables describing calving status and farm site.

Results: C. burnetii infection was detected in all management groups within the herd. The highest seroprevalence was detected in pre-calving heifers (78.6%) and the highest bacterial loads were detected in post-calving animals.

Limitations: These data represent a sample from one farm and testing for a single pathogen shedding route, which limits the generalizability of our findings.

Conclusions: C. burnetii infection is widespread within this affected herd. Marked differences were observed between the management groups, which may be explained by variables including pregnancy stage or environmental factors. Further work is needed to understand the implications of these results for the wider UK dairy sector.