Successful therapy of a three-day-old warm blood foal with respiratory distress syndrome by continuous-positive-airway-pressure-ventilation

Successful therapy of a three-day-old warm blood foal with respiratory distress syndrome by continuous-positive-airway-pressure-ventilation

Erfolgreiche Therapie eines drei Tage alten Fohlens mit Neonatalem Atemnotsyndrom mittels Continuous-Positive-Airway-Pressure-System

Krohn J, Ennen S, Hospes R, Schneider M, Wehrend A

DOI: 10.21836/PEM20130406
Year: 2013
Volume: 29
Issue: 4
Pages: 471–475

A three-day-old warm blood foal was presented with progressive dyspnoea and weakness. The clinical examination revealed signs of prematurity. Arterial blood gas analysis showed a severe hypoxemia with PaO2 26.9 mmHg and hypercapnia with PCO2 73.4 mmHg. The x- rays of the lung showed a severe diffuse interstitial pattern with bullae and echocardiography documented a severe pulmonary hypertension. A Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome was diagnosed. The treatment consisted of a continuous-positive-airway-pressure-ventilation and oxygen application for 12 hours in combination with a low-dose corticosteroid therapy for nine days. The clinical condition of the foal improved consistently over the next days. The foal was discharged from the clinic in a stable general condition. Twelve month later the owners were satisfied with the development of the foal.