Macrolide-induced hyperthermia in foals: Role of impaired sweat responses

• Published in: Equine veterinary journal 2016-09, Vol.48 (5), p.590-594
• Main Authors: Stieler, A. L., Sanchez, L. C., Mallicote, M. F., Martabano, B. B., Burrow, J. A., MacKay, R. J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: anhidrosis; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - adverse effects; Antibiotics; Erythromycin; Erythromycin - adverse effects; Female; Fever; Fever - chemically induced; Fever - veterinary; foal; horse; Horse Diseases - chemically induced; Horses; Hyperthermia; Injections, Intradermal; Intradermal Tests; Male; Rectum; Sweat; Sweating; Sweating - drug effects; Sympathomimetics - administration & dosage; Sympathomimetics - pharmacology; Terbutaline; Terbutaline - administration & dosage; Terbutaline - pharmacology; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 0425-1644; 2042-3306
• DOI: 10.1111/evj.12481

Summary Reasons for performing study The mechanism of hyperthermia, a potentially fatal adverse effect of erythromycin treatment of foals, is unknown. Objectives To determine the cause of erythromycin‐associated hyperthermia. It was hypothesised that the normal sweat response of foals is impaired by treatment with erythromycin. Study design Blinded, crossover study in 10 healthy pony foals. Methods Foals kept in stalls were given either erythromycin (25 mg/kg bwt orally, 3 times daily) or control for 10 days then turned out for a further 10 days. Quantitative intradermal terbutaline sweat tests were performed on Days 1 (baseline), 3, 10 and 20. The effects on terbutaline‐induced sweating of erythromycin, terbutaline concentration and treatment day were analysed by repeated‐measures ANOVA with Bonferroni‐corrected pairwise post hoc comparisons. Peak temperatures were compared by Wilcoxon's signed rank test and proportions by McNemar's related samples test. Significance was set at P