Total plasma magnesium in healthy and critically ill foals.
Abnormalities in total Mg (tMg) concentration in plasma and/or serum are common in critically ill humans, and the association with increased mortality has been documented in several clinical studies in adults and newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Abnormalities in tMg were studied in hospitalized dogs, cats, and adult horses. Newborn foals were scarcely studied with regard to Mg concentration. The aims of the present study were: (1) to compare two analytical methods for the determination of tMg in plasma: the automated colorimetric method and the atomic absorption spectrometry; (2) to measure plasma tMg in healthy foals during the first 72 hours after birth and in sick foals during the first 72 hours of hospitalization; (3) to compare total plasma Mg concentration among healthy foals, foals affected by perinatal asphyxia syndrome (PAS), prematurity and/or dismaturity, and sepsis; (4) to evaluate tMg plasma concentration in surviving and non-surviving foals. One hundred seventeen foals were included in the study: 20 healthy and 97 sick foals. The automated method used in clinical practice probably overestimates plasma tMg. Due to its higher sensitivity and specificity, the atomic absorption spectrometry should be considered the method of choice from an analytical point of view, but requires an instrumentation not easily available in any laboratory and specific technical skills and competencies. Plasma tMg in healthy foals were included in the range 0.52 to 1.01 mmol/L and did not show any time-dependent change during the first 72 hours of life. In sick foals, tMg evaluated at T0 was statistically higher than tMg measured at subsequent times. Foals affected by PAS had a tMg at T0 significantly higher (P < 0.01) than healthy, septic, and premature and/or dysmature foals. The t test found significantly higher (P < 0.01) plasma tMg measured at T0 in non-surviving than in surviving foals. Plasma tMg could be a useful parameter for the diagnosis of PAS and the formulation of the prognosis in critically ill foals.
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: jole.mariella2@unibo.it.
J
J
Mariella
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
G
G
Isani
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
G
G
Andreani
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
F
F
Freccero
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
E
E
Carpenè
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
C
C
Castagnetti
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary; D003124:Colorimetry / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D006736:Horses / Q000097:blood*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood*; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary
D008274:Magnesium
Atomic absorption spectrometry; Critically ill; Foal; Magnesium; Perinatal asphyxia syndrome