Antibiotic prophylaxis of lower respiratory tract contamination in horses confined with head elevation for 24 or 48 hours

Abstract

The prophylactic administration of penicillin before or during confinement did not reliably reduce bacterial numbers or prevent the accumulation of purulent lower respiratory tract secretions in horses confined with their heads elevated. Numbers of beta-haemolytic Streptococcus spp were reduced following treatment, suggesting that the repeated administration of procaine penicillin may have some merit as part of a strategy to prevent transport-associated respiratory disease. However, methods directed at minimising the duration of confinement with head elevation, augmentation of the clearance of accumulated secretions and prompt identification of animals in which airway inflammation has extended to the pulmonary parenchyma remain the best ways of minimising transport-associated respiratory disease.