Selected highlights from other journals

What did the research find?Overall, 74 per cent of horses with peritonitis survived to hospital discharge.Horses with higher heart rates at admission were significantly less likely to survive to discharge (odds ratio [OR]=0.90per additional beat/minute, P<0.001).Sanguinous peritoneal fluid was also associated with lower odds of survival (OR=0.16,P=0.01).In contrast, normal rectal examination findings were associated with significantly increased odds of survival (OR=8.25,P=0.007).• How was it conducted?The medical records of 123 horses with peritonitis (ie, a peritoneal fluid nucleated cell count above 10×10 9 /l) admitted to a single hospital between 2010 and 2024 were retrospectively reviewed.Information extracted included signalment, clinical examination findings at admission, abdominal ultrasonography results, rectal examination findings, haematology, serum biochemistry and abdominocentesis results, and whether the horse survived to discharge.Multivariable logistic regression was then used to identify predictors of survival.• Why is it important?Peritonitis is a life-threatening inflammatory condition; however, few studies have investigated factors associated with survival in horses diagnosed with peritonitis.This study suggests that routine clinical examination findings, such as heart rate, and peritoneal fluid assessment can predict survival to discharge.This information will help clinicians discuss survival prospects with owners and inform subsequent clinical decision making.