Diagnostic value of plasma and peritoneal fluid procalcitonin concentrations in horses with strangulating intestinal lesions.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the diagnostic value of plasma and peritoneal fluid procalcitonin concentrations for identification of horses with strangulating intestinal lesions.

ANIMALS

65 horses with signs of colic of intestinal origin and 10 healthy (control) horses.

PROCEDURES

For each horse, plasma and peritoneal fluid samples were obtained for a CBC and determination of total protein, procalcitonin, and lactate concentrations. Signalment and clinicopathologic findings were compared among control horses and horses with strangulating and nonstrangulating intestinal lesions.

RESULTS

Mean ± SD plasma (274.9 ± 150.8 pg/mL) and peritoneal fluid (277 ± 50.6 pg/mL) procalcitonin concentrations for horses with colic were significantly greater than the mean ± SD plasma (175.5 ± 46.0 pg/mL) and peritoneal fluid (218.8 ± 48.7 pg/mL) procalcitonin concentrations for control horses. Mean procalcitonin concentration in peritoneal fluid, but not plasma, differed significantly between horses with strangulating lesions and those with nonstrangulating lesions. A peritoneal fluid procalcitonin concentration ≥ 281.7 pg/mL had a sensitivity of 81%, specificity of 69%, positive predictive value of 56.7%, and negative predictive value of 87.9% for detection of strangulating lesions.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Results suggested that peritoneal fluid procalcitonin concentration, when evaluated in conjunction with other clinicopathologic results, might be a sensitive indicator of intestinal ischemia and facilitate early identification of horses that require surgery to address a strangulating lesion.