Pressure and airflow in the upper respiratory tract of horses with partial obstructions
Speirs, V.C.; Tschudi, P.R.; Gerber, H.
Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde 123(6): 293-304
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-7281 PMID: 7268368 Document Number: 170244
The effects of upper respiratory tract obstructions on air flow in horses were examined and discussed. The measurements were made on recordings obtained while the horses were breathing quietly at rest and also during hyperventilation produced by the intravenous injection of a respiratory stimulant (Lobelin). Results from horses with unobstructed airways were compared with those from horses with naturally occuring and experimentally induced upper respiratory tract obstructions. It was concluded that the flows achieved under the conditions of this project were insufficient to produce measurable changes in the respiratory parameters. Generally, the method described could only be expected to reveal the presence of severe obstructions. Some suggestions for the development of respiratory function tests in horses are made.