Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse developed breathing trouble and blindness after anesthesia
By Holbrook, Todd C et al.·Published in Veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia·2007·Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Suspected air embolism associated with post-anesthetic pulmonary edema and neurologic sequelae in a horse.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 523 kg Quarter Horse developed breathing problems and signs of neurological issues after surgery to remove an eye. During recovery, the cap on a catheter came off, which likely allowed air to enter the bloodstream, leading to pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) and symptoms like blindness and balance problems. The horse was treated with oxygen, medications, and fluids, and after a week in the hospital, he fully recovered and was back to normal six weeks later.
People also search for: horse breathing problems after surgery · Quarter Horse eye surgery recovery · horse neurological issues after anesthesia
Abstract
A 523 kg Quarter Horse was anesthetized for unilateral eye enucleation. The anesthetic period was unremarkable. During anesthetic recovery the cap on the jugular venous catheter became dislodged. Clinical signs of pulmonary edema associated with moderate arterial hypoxemia subsequently developed. Although pulmonary edema resolved with medical therapy, the day following anesthetic recovery, clinical signs of vestibular disease and blindness developed. Treatment included nasal oxygen insufflation, flunixin meglumine, furosemide, dexamethasone, thiamine, dimethylsulfoxide, antimicrobials, and phenylbutazone. The horse recovered and was discharged from the hospital after 7 days of treatment and was neurologically normal at 6 weeks. While venous air embolism was not confirmed in this case, the catheter cap complication followed by signs of pulmonary edema and neurologic sequelae support the presumptive pathogenesis of this horse's complications. Diagnostic confirmation of air embolism in horses with compatible acute clinical signs should be documented with echocardiography.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17444936/