Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA.
Private Practice.
J Vet Intern Med. 2021 Jul;35(4):1988-1994. doi: 10.1111/jvim.16188. Epub 2021 May 30.
Sepsis is common in foals and several treatments are used to facilitate recovery. Evidence in people suggests an association between low blood concentrations of thiamine, ascorbic acid, and cortisol and sepsis, with further evidence suggesting that administration of hydrocortisone, thiamine, and ascorbic acid may improve outcome. No information is available with regard to these treatments in foals.
HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To compare blood concentrations of thiamine, ascorbic acid, and cortisol in healthy and ill foals.
Fifteen healthy and 27 ill (septic and sick-nonseptic [SNS]) foals were evaluated at admission. Fewer healthy and ill foals were available for sampling at 72 and 120 hours.
Prospective study. Blood was collected from healthy foals at 12 (n = 15), 72 (n = 11), and 120 (n = 9) hours of age and from ill foals <48 hours old at admission (n = 27), 72 (n = 8), and 120 (n = 8) hours after presentation. Thiamine, ascorbic acid, and cortisol concentrations were measured in blood samples and compared between groups of foals.
Blood concentrations of thiamine were significantly lower in septic compared to healthy foals at 72 (median, 1.72 ng/mL; P = .02) and 120 (median, 2.0 ng/mL; P = .04) hours after admission; blood concentrations of ascorbic acid also were significantly lower in septic compared to healthy foals at 72 (median, 4.4 μg/mL; P = .02) and 120 hours (median, 4.8 μg/mL; P = .03). Blood concentrations of ascorbic acid were lower in SNS compared to healthy foals at 72 (median, 6.9 μg/mL; P = .03) and 120 (median, 6.4 μg/mL; P = .04) hours after admission. Serum cortisol concentrations were significantly higher at admission in septic (median, 4.23 μg/dL) compared to SNS (median, 1.8 μg/dL; P = .01) and healthy (median, 2.2 μg/dL; P = .002) foals.
A potential association exists between illness in foals and lower blood concentrations of thiamine and ascorbic acid during hospitalization. Additional studies are needed to examine a larger population of foals and determine the clinical impact of low vitamin concentrations, if any, on morbidity and mortality.
败血症在小马驹中很常见，有几种治疗方法可用于促进康复。在人类中，有证据表明，血液中硫胺素、抗坏血酸和皮质醇的浓度较低与败血症有关，进一步的证据表明，给予氢化可的松、硫胺素和抗坏血酸可能会改善预后。关于这些治疗方法在小马驹中的应用尚无信息。
假设/目的：比较健康和患病小马驹的硫胺素、抗坏血酸和皮质醇的血液浓度。
15 只健康和 27 只患病（败血症和非败血症[SNS]）小马驹在入院时进行评估。在 72 小时和 120 小时时，可供采样的健康和患病小马驹较少。
前瞻性研究。在 12 小时（n=15）、72 小时（n=11）和 120 小时（n=9）时采集健康小马驹的血液，并在入院时（n=27）、72 小时（n=8）和 120 小时（n=8）后采集患病小马驹的血液。测量血液样本中的硫胺素、抗坏血酸和皮质醇浓度，并比较不同小马驹组之间的浓度。
与健康小马驹相比，败血症小马驹在 72 小时（中位数 1.72ng/mL；P=0.02）和 120 小时（中位数 2.0ng/mL；P=0.04）后血液中的硫胺素浓度显著降低；与健康小马驹相比，败血症小马驹在 72 小时（中位数 4.4μg/mL；P=0.02）和 120 小时（中位数 4.8μg/mL；P=0.03）时血液中的抗坏血酸浓度也显著降低。与健康小马驹相比，SNS 小马驹在 72 小时（中位数 6.9μg/mL；P=0.03）和 120 小时（中位数 6.4μg/mL；P=0.04）时血液中的抗坏血酸浓度也较低。败血症小马驹在入院时的血清皮质醇浓度明显高于 SNS（中位数 1.8μg/dL；P=0.01）和健康（中位数 2.2μg/dL；P=0.002）小马驹，分别为 4.23μg/dL。
小马驹患病与住院期间血液中硫胺素和抗坏血酸浓度降低之间存在潜在关联。需要进一步研究以检查更大的小马驹人群，并确定低维生素浓度对发病率和死亡率的任何临床影响。
