The impact of peer‐reviewed literature on equine neonatal care

Abstract

In the preface of the first equine neonatology book edited by Koterba, Drummond and Kosch in 1990 it is stated that 'Regardless of the sophistication of equipment and facilities of neonatal intensive care, the factor that still saves the most foals is careful and intensive nursing care'. This probably still holds true more than 20 years later, manifested by the continued presence and use of the book in many neonatal care facilities all over the world. However, the authors also point out that 'in many areas of major and minor importance, gross deficiencies in species-specific information exist ' (Koterba et al. 1990). And it is this area, the evidence-based or at least peer-reviewed species-specific literature, where the greatest advances have been made since publication of the book. A literature search using PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ sites/entrez?db=pubmed) and the broad search terms 'foal or equine neonate' confirms this impression. Prior to 1970, 93 publications were named. Over the next 4 decades publications increased to 281 in the 1970s, 496 and 477 in the 1980s and 1990s, respectively, and in the last decade 544 publications were listed. In the new decade (up to September 2011) 98 publications are already are listed, and this Equine Veterinary Journal supplement, containing 25 articles, will aid in increasing our understanding of physiology, pathophysiology and treatment of the equine neonate even further. There is some, albeit indirect, evidence that this cumulative increase in knowledge over time has been paralleled by an increase in survival, at least in bacteraemic foals (Fig 1).Some of the articles presented here will confirm our clinical impressions and reinforce current clinical practice, whereas others might change the way we view and treat hospitalised foals. Indeed, particularly in equine neonatal care, it appears that scientific evidence, rightly or wrongly, occasionally lags behind clinical developments, as demonstrated by the contributions of Jose-Cunilleras et al. (2012), Sanchez and Elfenbein (2012) and Furr et al. (2012) in this supplement.

Factors associated with outcome and gradual improvement in survival over time in 1065 equine neonates admitted to an intensive care unit

“…Since publication of the first equine neonatology textbook by Koterba et al in 1990 [13], there has been a remarkable increase in the number of publications related to the discipline [14]. While there is no doubt that this body of research has enhanced our understanding of the physiology, pathophysiology, monitoring and treatment of the equine neonate, there is no direct evidence that the cumulative increase in knowledge over time has been paralleled by an increase in survival.…”