Pathogens· 2026Q1
Clinical and Microbiological Outcomes of Topical 2% Acetic Acid as an Adjunct to Standardized Treatment for Pseudomonas aeruginosa-Associated Secondary Cutaneous Disease in Horses with Chronic Progressive Lymphedema: A Retrospective Historical-Control Cohort Study
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Adding topical 2% acetic acid to standard treatment for Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected chronic progressive lymphedema in horses reduced treatment duration from a median of 12 days to 8 days and increased bacterial clearance from 14.3% to 96.4%.
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Key points
- Topical 2% acetic acid reduced median treatment duration for P. aeruginosa-associated skin disease in horses from 12 days to 8 days.
- P. aeruginosa clearance rates increased from 14.3% in controls to 96.4% with acetic acid adjunct therapy.
- Subsequent reappearance of P. aeruginosa-associated disease dropped from 85.7% in controls to 10.7% with acetic acid.
- No local adverse reactions were observed with the use of topical 2% acetic acid.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Background: Chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) in draft horses is frequently complicated by secondary cutaneous infection, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa may be difficult to eliminate. This study evaluated topical 2% acetic acid as an adjunct to a standardized local treatment protocol. Methods: Records of 35 hospitalized horses with CPL in which P. aeruginosa was the sole pretreatment isolate were reviewed retrospectively. Seven historical controls received clipping, chlorhexidine cleansing, drying, and polyhexanide irrigation; 28 horses received the same protocol plus 2% acetic acid twice daily. No horse received systemic antimicrobials. Follow-up cultures were collected 24 h after clinical resolution. Results: Median treatment duration was 12 days (IQR 11–14) in controls and 8 days (IQR 7–9) with acetic acid (p < 0.001). P. aeruginosa clearance was achieved in 1/7 (14.3%) and 27/28 (96.4%) horses, respectively (p < 0.001). Subsequent clinical reappearance of P. aeruginosa-associated disease occurred in 6/7 (85.7%) and 3/28 (10.7%) horses (p < 0.001); most control events reflected persistence rather than recurrence after clearance. No local adverse reactions were recorded. Conclusions: Adding topical 2% acetic acid was associated with higher P. aeruginosa clearance, shorter treatment, and fewer subsequent clinical reappearances. Prospective randomized studies are needed to confirm these findings.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Pathogens, 2026 · DOI ↗
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