A survey of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug use in the post‐operative period following equine colic surgery

Abstract

Summary Background There is currently a lack of evidence surrounding the factors that contribute towards a clinician's decision to discontinue non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) administration during the post‐operative period following equine colic surgery, as well as the drugs and dosages commonly administered to these patients. Objectives To survey clinicians involved in the care of colic patients as to their use of NSAIDs and to investigate the factors associated with the decision to discontinue their administration. Study design An online questionnaire was created using Jisc Online Surveys, designed to record information about the use of NSAIDs by equine clinicians who regularly manage post‐operative colic patients. Methods The questionnaire was distributed to boarded equine veterinarians from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM), the European College of Equine Internal Medicine (ECEIM) and the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS). Results Responses were obtained from 60 clinicians. Flunixin and phenylbutazone were the most administered NSAIDs and were also the most widely available drugs. 83% of clinicians ranked the absence of active colic signs as an important factor to consider when deciding the timepoint for NSAID discontinuation following colic surgery, in addition to 81% for pain score evaluation, and 78% for the absence of fever. NSAIDs were typically discontinued 5–7 days post‐operatively in the absence of complications but were often continued for longer where complications occurred. Main limitations Free text answer boxes provided in the questionnaire meant that some answers were difficult to interpret alongside the rest of the data and, therefore, had to be omitted. The case scenarios were fictitious, potentially altering the clinicians’ treatment decisions compared with real‐life cases, where more clinical information would be available. Conclusions There is variation in NSAID usage in the post‐operative colic patient, but agreement among clinicians about which factors are influential when considering NSAID discontinuation.