Equine respiratory pharmacology

Differentiation of diseases of the equine respiratory tract is based on his tory, clinical signs, auscultation, endoscopy, imaging, and sampling of air way exudate. Upper respiratory therapies include surgical correction of air way obstructions; flushing of localized abscesses (strangles), guttural pou ch disease, or sinusitis; and oral or parenteral antibiotic and anti-inflam matory therapy if deemed necessary. Pneumonia usually is treated with antim icrobials, antiinflammatories, and bronchodilators. Pleural drainage is ind icated if significant pleural effusion is present. The most commonly used t herapies for early inflammatory and chronic allergic obstructive conditions include bronchodilators and anti-inflammatories. Acute respiratory distres s, particulary acute pulmonary edema, is treated with diuretics (usually fu rosemide) intranasal oxygen, bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and alleviat ion of the underlying cause. Furosemide also had been used in North America as a race-day preventative for exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH ), but recent data have shown that furosemide may be a performance-enhancin g agent itself.