The distal end of the horse is often affected by septic processes that are difficult to treat. The intravenous regional perfusion of antimicrobials is a treatment option for these processes, increasing the local concentration of the drug using small doses, and is currently widely used, but still presenting various issues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible complications of the technique, using gentamicin at a dose of 2.2mg/kg in the cephalic vein of horses. Fifteen healthy horses were assigned to three groups of 5 animals. Group 1, tourniquet group (TG), group 2, tourniquet and 40mL of physiologic saline solution (SPG) and group 3, tourniquet and 2.2mg/kg gentamicin completed to 40mL by the addition of physiologic saline solution (ASG). The perfused limb was evaluated by thermography and ultrasound Duplex color over time. The data were analyzed by Tukey's and Dunnett's method, and the accepted significance level was P<0.05. All groups showed thrombotic score zero and there was no significant difference between groups in the average diameter of the vein and member temperatures. The intravenous regional antibiosis with 2.2mg/kg of gentamicin as a single dose did not affect the development of thrombosis in the cephalic vein.
regional perfusion; septic arthritis; thrombosis and horses
