Martin Michael P, Wineland Michael, Fletcher Oscar J, Barnes H John
Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA.
Avian Dis. 2011 Sep;55(3):340-5. doi: 10.1637/9566-100610-Reg.1.
Calcium tetany is a poorly defined disease of broiler breeder hens that results from acute hypocalcemia. It is characterized by impaired mobility, increased mortality, and absence of gross lesions that would explain the impaired mobility. To evaluate if hens with impaired mobility had calcium tetany or other abnormalities, blood values from normal and affected hens were determined using the i-STAT handheld clinical analyzer. Three flocks were evaluated weekly prior to peak production (range 25-30 wk of age) comparing normal hens to hens with clinically apparent calcium tetany. Calcium tetany suspect (CaTS) hens from four additional flocks were also evaluated. Significant hypocalcemia (P < 0.001) was observed in CaTS hens (average = 1.14 mmol/L ionized calcium [iCa]) compared to normal hens (average = 1.53 mmol/L iCa) in only one of three flocks sampled weekly. Clinically affected hens from one of the other four flocks also had hypocalcemia. Blood value abnormalities in mobility-impaired hens without hypocalcemia included hypernatremia. Findings in this study indicate calcium tetany is one cause of impaired mobility in breeder hens, but mobility impairment without hypocalcemia can also occur. Calcium tetany should be confirmed by finding significantly decreased levels of iCa in the blood, as diagnosis based on clinical presentation and necropsy results can be inaccurate. The i-STAT handheld clinical analyzer is an efficient, relatively low-cost method to determine iCa and other blood chemistry values that may be associated with impaired mobility in broiler breeder hens.
低钙血症是一种定义不明确的肉种鸡疾病，由急性低钙血症引起。其特征为行动能力受损、死亡率增加，且缺乏能解释行动能力受损的肉眼可见病变。为评估行动能力受损的母鸡是否患有低钙血症或其他异常，使用i-STAT手持式临床分析仪测定了正常母鸡和患病母鸡的血液值。在产蛋高峰前（25 - 30周龄），每周对三个鸡群进行评估，将正常母鸡与临床上明显患有低钙血症的母鸡进行比较。还对另外四个鸡群中疑似低钙血症（CaTS）的母鸡进行了评估。在每周采样的三个鸡群中，只有一个鸡群的CaTS母鸡（平均离子钙[iCa] = 1.14 mmol/L）与正常母鸡（平均iCa = 1.53 mmol/L）相比，观察到显著的低钙血症（P < 0.001）。另外四个鸡群中一个鸡群的临床患病母鸡也有低钙血症。无低钙血症的行动能力受损母鸡的血液值异常包括高钠血症。本研究结果表明，低钙血症是种母鸡行动能力受损的一个原因，但无低钙血症时也可能出现行动能力受损。应通过发现血液中iCa水平显著降低来确诊低钙血症，因为基于临床表现和尸检结果的诊断可能不准确。i-STAT手持式临床分析仪是一种高效、成本相对较低的方法，可用于测定iCa和其他可能与肉种鸡行动能力受损相关的血液化学值。
