Exam 2 Flashcards
(229 cards)
Name the common and uncommon causes of non-infectious airway diseases in the horse
Common: equine asthma, inflammatory airway disease (IAD), exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH)
Uncommon: neoplasia (granular cell tumor most common), silicosis (associated with housing near dusty road), equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis (caused by EHV 5), multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease (MEEDS)
Describe the growth of granular cell tumors in the lungs of horses
They grow out of the interstitium and into the airways
-block the entire airway
-easily diagnosed through endoscopy
What would you find through biopsy or BAL of a horse with equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis?
Evidence of equine herpes virus 5
-might also be found in a normal horse though
What is the pathophysiology of MEEDS?
Unknown
-can affect many different body systems
What are some other names for equine asthma?
-equine chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
-equine recurrent airway obstructive disease (RAO)
-lay names: heaves, broken wind
T/F: humans are the experimental model for understanding asthma in horses
TRUE!
Describe some general characteristics of equine asthma
-usually affects middle aged (7) and older horses
-recurrent chronic and seasonal disease
-often a response to exposure to respirable debris
-progressive clinical signs over time
-horses can achieve remission but there is no cure
What are the most common symptoms of equine asthma?
- moderate exercise intolerance in early disease
-cough and mucoid nasal discharge with moderate disease
-nostril flare and abdominal push with severe disease
In the worst cases of equine asthma, how do the nostrils appear?
Fixed and dilated
- don’t move when the horse breaths
What are the two different forms of equine asthma?
Typical equine heaves: associated with exposure to barn dust, hay dust or hay mold. More commonly observed in winter
Summer pasture airway obstructive disease (SPAOD): observed in southeastern states, associated with pasture, humidity and hot temperatures
Describe the mechanics of deposition of material in the airways
-if material is >5 microns there will be insertional impaction (ex: dirt, pollen). Mainly get trapped in nose and sinuses
-if material is 1-5 microns it will undergo sedimentation (mold spores, bacteria). Get stuck in trachea and upper bronchial tree (can ride the airstream for a while)
-if <1 micron, will undergo diffusion (gasses, moisture, endotoxin). Get into deep airways and can be very irritating
What is believed to be one of the main culprits of asthma in horses?
Aspergillus
-prominent hay and affects mid range of airways
Describe the inflammatory response that occurs with asthma
-exposure to the inhaled irritant drives airway neutrophilic inflammation (non-degenerative)
-this inflammation then leads to bronchoconstriction and mucous hypersecretion
How do you diagnose asthma?
First must determine if infectious or non infectious
-complete physical (including rebreathing if indicated), auscultate larynx, trachea and thorax as well as heart
-observe horse in work
How do you determine if a horse is suffering from infectious or noninfectious airway inflammation?
-infectious: history of exposure to infectious organism or initial event. Feverish, other animals affected, acute onset
-non-infectious: exposure to new environmental factor, seasonal onset, recurring. No fever, not contagious, gradual onset, chronic or recurring
T/F: clinical signs of asthma correlate with the severity of disease
False- horses can fool you
- try rebreathing bag for better indication of severity
-if you see clinical evidence of disease, the horse is very compromised
Why might a CBC/chem be helpful in an asthma case?
CBC: can help to determine if infectious or not (infectious- leukocytosis, neutrophilia, hyperfibrinogenemia, hyperproteinemia. Non infectious- stress leukogram- neutrophils and monocytes increase, leukocytes go down)
Chem: hyperglobulinemia would be more suspect of infectious or neoplastic disease
What are some additional diagnostics that may be beneficial in an equine asthma case?
-airway endoscopy- mucous scoring, transtracheal wash, thorough airway exam
-thoracic ultrasound or rads to rule out other causes
What are the two options for transtracheal aspirates?
-transendoscopic or percutaneous
-sterile so can culture, gram stain, PCR, cytology
What are the pros and cons of BAL?
Can be somewhat therapeutic
-gets to site of infection, but is not sterile
-good to determine success of treatment
-can do PCR, cytology and gram stain
If a horse is experiencing airway inflammation, what should you always do during your first exam?
-obtain a transtracheal wash or brush
T/F: it is not uncommon to see some bacteria on transtracheal wash in an asthma case
True- often not causing the inflammation though
-may be an indication for a round of antibiotics
-asthma may predispose to infection due to mucous presence
Describe some advantages and disadvantages to Transtracheal washes
Advantages: sample is more representative of what is happening in the whole airway and the lung, samples are sterile so can be submitted for culture
Disadvantages: may not represent the current state of the lower airways since it is a sample of everything
When should you perform a BAL?
Recheck exam