Tracheal wash, BAL or radiographs - is that necessary? Working up a respiratory case

A good history and clinical examination can be used to diagnose many cases of equine respiratory disease. Endoscopy is a valuable diagnostic aid but when is it most useful and when does it add little to our clinical assessment? Endoscopy can be useful for the detection of mild/subclinical disease, to evaluate microbiological factors, dynamic changes and to identify uncommon/ unexpected pathology. Tracheal wash samples can be useful for bacteriology and cytology, broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) samples are usually only used for cytology and may be particularly useful for mild/ subclinical disease.

An understanding of:
The clinical approach to common respiratory diseases of the adult horse,
the most useful indications for endoscopy and, 
the advantages and disadvantages of tracheal wash and broncho-alveolar lavage samples

Presented at London Vet Show 2024

Please note this session is not RACE-approved but you can still earn a CPD certificate