Traumatic Pericarditis
Revision as of 08:43, 2 July 2010 by Bara (talk | contribs) (moved Traumatic Pericarditis - WikiClinical to Traumatic Pericarditis)
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aka: Wire; Hardware Disease
Description
- A common cause of severe abdominal pain in cattle.
- Rare in other animals.
Diagnosis
History & Clinical Signs
- Common in dairy cattle
- Dull
- Depressed
- Extension of the neck
- Arching of the back
- Standing with elbows abducted
- Signs of right sided heart failure
- Peripheral oedema
Physical Exam
- Grunt (pain response) when pressure is applied to the ventral abdomen
- Increased temperature
- Increased pulses
- Decreased to absent rumenal activity
- Dry mucus covered feces
- Tachycardia
Laboratory Findings
Complete Cell Count:
- Neutrophilia with a left shift
- Increased fibrinogen
- Increased serum total protein
Fluid Analysis: Fluid used from pericardiocentesis can confirm traumatic pericarditis
- Bacteria within neutrophils
- A large number of degenerate neutrophils
Treatment
- Confine animal
- Broad Spectrum Antibiotics
- Administer fluids if the animal is dehydrated
- Remove foreign object with a rumenotomy
- Due to economics most animals are culled
- Prevention through good husbandry practices is the best treatment!