Monitoring equine head-related pain with the Equine Utrecht University scale for facial assessment of pain (EQUUS-FAP)

Vet J. 2017 Feb:220:88-90. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.01.006. Epub 2017 Jan 10.

Abstract

This study validates a recently described pain scale, the Equine Utrecht University scale for facial assessment of pain (EQUUS-FAP), in horses with acute or postoperative pain originating from the head, including dental pain, ocular pain, or trauma to the skull. This cohort study of 23 horses with head-related pain and 23 normal, healthy controls revealed significant differences in EQUUS-FAP scores between control horses and horses with acute or postoperative pain (P <0.001). Moreover, pain scores after surgery decreased significantly over time (P <0.001). The scale showed good inter-observer reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.92), sensitivity (80%), specificity (78%), and positive (80%) and negative predictive values (78%).

Keywords: Dental; Equine; Facial; Pain originating from head; Pain scale.

MeSH terms

  • Acute Pain / diagnosis
  • Acute Pain / etiology
  • Acute Pain / veterinary*
  • Animals
  • Cohort Studies
  • Face / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Head / physiopathology*
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Horse Diseases / etiology
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Observer Variation
  • Pain Measurement / methods
  • Pain Measurement / veterinary*
  • Pain, Postoperative / diagnosis
  • Pain, Postoperative / etiology
  • Pain, Postoperative / veterinary*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity