title: Metabolic and endocrine profiles in sick neonatal foals are related to survival.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sick neonatal foals suffer from a variety of endocrine and metabolic derangements that may be related to outcome. There are several hepatic and lipid metabolism blood markers that have never been assessed in neonatal foals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Assess panel of endocrine and metabolic variables in group of sick and healthy neonatal foals in order to describe their relationship with diagnosis and survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  All neonatal foals referred to Unitat Equina-Fundació Hospital Clínic Veterinari during 3 consecutive foaling seasons and a group of healthy foals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational prospective study. Blood samples were obtained on admission and, when possible, after 24-48 h of hospitalization and immediately before discharge or death. Measured variables were triglycerides, nonsterified fatty acids, glucose, creatinine, urea, γ-glutamyltransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), insulin, cortisol, bile acids, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH/cortisol and glucose/insulin ratios were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Urea, creatinine, and cortisol had median concentrations in septic and nonseptic foals 2- to 8-fold higher than in the control group (P < .001). Median ACTH concentration in the septic group was approximately 4 times higher than in nonseptic and control foals (P < .001). ACTH/cortisol ratio was significantly lower in sick foals compared to control foals (P < .001). A score was designed including creatinine, GLDH, and cortisol. When ≥ 2 of these variables were altered (P < .001), the foal had 32 times more risk of dying (OR, 31.7; 95% CI, 7.7-130.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma creatinine, GLDH, and cortisol should be determined in sick newborn foals on admission because of their association with survival.
authors.affiliation: Servei de Medicina Interna Equina and Unitat Equina, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Armengou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jose-Cunilleras
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ríos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cesarini
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Viu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monreal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary