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| ==Treatment== | | ==Treatment== |
| + | Prokinetic agents |
| + | Impaired gastric motility has been treated with several |
| + | drugs, especially in the context of treatment for postoperative |
| + | ileus. Metoclopramide (0.10-0.25 mg/kg bwt |
| + | 3-4 times daily) has been used, but the frequent |
| + | occurrence of neurological side effects limits its utility. |
| + | Cisapride, a 5-HT4 agonist, has received some |
| + | attention. It has been given per 0s and i.v. but |
| + | commercially only an oral formulation is available. A |
| + | suggested dose is 0.1 mg/kg bwt q. 8 h (Gerring et a/. |
| + | 1991). However, its therapeutic benefits have been found |
| + | to be equivocal. |
| + | Bethanecol. a muscarinic agonist, has also been used to |
| + | promote gastric emptying (0.00250.03 mg/kg bwt sub cut. |
| + | q. 4 h then 0.3-0.75 mg/kg bwt per 0s 3-4 times daily), but it |
| + | produces doserelated gastrointestinal side effects including |
| + | colic, diarrhoea and salivation (Murray 1990). |
| + | These prokinetic agents should be used only when |
| + | anatomical obstructions have been ruled out. |
| + | Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs appear to be |
| + | beneficial in equine post operative ileus, possiblyby inhibiting the release of prostaglandin synthesis |
| + | induced by endotoxin. Both flunixin meglumine and |
| + | phenylbutazone have been used and there is some |
| + | evidence to suggest that phenylbutazone may be more |
| + | efficacious (King and Gerring 1989). |
| + | Supportive therapy |
| + | Because of the uncertain benefits of drug treatment for |
| + | equine gastric diseases, considerable care must taken |
| + | with non-specific supportive measures. In particular, |
| + | in cases of delayed gastric emptying, gastric |
| + | decompression must be maintained either by an |
| + | indwelling nasogastric tube, with the attendant risks of |
| + | prolonged intubation, or by repeated intubation. |
| + | Hydration should be effectively maintained by parenteral |
| + | fluid therapy.(Proudman) |
| + | |
| + | Surgical |
| + | The stomach of the adult horse, by virtue of its anatomical |
| + | location in the cranial abdomen, partially enclosed by |
| + | C. J. Proudman and S. J. Baker 183 |
| + | diaphragm and thoracic body wall, is difficult to access |
| + | surgically. Extension of a midline laparotomy incision |
| + | cranially improves access marginally but also increases |
| + | the probability of post operative wound problems. With |
| + | such difficult access and without the possibility of |
| + | mobilising the stomach to bring it closer to the incision |
| + | surgical options for treating gastric disease are very |
| + | limited. Gastrotomy and evacuation of impacted food |
| + | material has been reported (Clayton-Jones et a/. 1972) |
| + | but is extremely difficult to achieve without causing gross |
| + | peritoneal contamination. Softening of gastric impactions |
| + | can be successfully achieved during surgery by instillation |
| + | of fluid into the stomach by stomach tube, or by |
| + | transmural injection from the peritoneal side; and by |
| + | manual mixing of the fluid and impacted food material |
| + | by the surgeon massaging the stomach wall. The latter |
| + | technique is often used because of the difficulty of |
| + | passing a nasogastric tube in the anaesthetised horse in |
| + | dorsal recumbency.(Proudman) |
| + | |
| + | |
| Surgical repair has been reported for partial thickness tears<ref>Steenhaut, M, Vlaminck, K, Gasthuys, F (1986) Surgical repair of a partial gastric rupture in a horse. ''Equine Vet J'', 18:331-332. In: Sanchez, L.C (2010) ''Other Disorders of the Stomach'' in Reed, S.M, Bayly, W.M. and Sellon, D.C (2010) '''Equine Internal Medicine''' (Third Edition), ''Saunders'', Chapter 15.</ref> and one case of a full thickness repair<ref>Hogan, P.M, Bramlage, L.R, Pierce, S.W (1995) Repair of a full-thickness gastric rupture in a horse. ''J Am Vet Med Assoc'', 207:338-340. In: Sanchez, L.C (2010) ''Other Disorders of the Stomach'' in Reed, S.M, Bayly, W.M. and Sellon, D.C (2010) '''Equine Internal Medicine''' (Third Edition), ''Saunders'', Chapter 15.</ref> | | Surgical repair has been reported for partial thickness tears<ref>Steenhaut, M, Vlaminck, K, Gasthuys, F (1986) Surgical repair of a partial gastric rupture in a horse. ''Equine Vet J'', 18:331-332. In: Sanchez, L.C (2010) ''Other Disorders of the Stomach'' in Reed, S.M, Bayly, W.M. and Sellon, D.C (2010) '''Equine Internal Medicine''' (Third Edition), ''Saunders'', Chapter 15.</ref> and one case of a full thickness repair<ref>Hogan, P.M, Bramlage, L.R, Pierce, S.W (1995) Repair of a full-thickness gastric rupture in a horse. ''J Am Vet Med Assoc'', 207:338-340. In: Sanchez, L.C (2010) ''Other Disorders of the Stomach'' in Reed, S.M, Bayly, W.M. and Sellon, D.C (2010) '''Equine Internal Medicine''' (Third Edition), ''Saunders'', Chapter 15.</ref> |
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