Blood culture status in mature horses with diarrhoea: a possible association with survival.

The research paper examines the impact of positive blood cultures on the survival rate of mature horses suffering from diarrhea. The study found that a higher-than-expected proportion of these horses did have positive blood cultures, and that these horses were significantly less likely to survive.

Research Objective and Methodology

• The objective of this study was to determine how many horses with diarrhea are blood culture-positive and to observe if a positive blood culture influences the horse’s survival chances. This is crucial as the diagnosis of bacteria in the bloodstream can change the course of treatment and influence the prognosis.
• The researchers conducted the study among 31 mature horses suffering from diarrhea.
• Blood cultures were obtained at the point of admission, and again 24 hours later, from each horse to identify if they had bacteria in their bloodstream.

Results

• Within 24 hours of admission, it was established that 9 horses, which is 29% of the total, were blood culture positive.
• Different organisms were isolated during the culture, including Corynebacterium spp., Streptococcus spp., Pantoea agglomerans, Gram-negative rod, Bacillus spp., and yeast.
• It was found that horses with positive blood cultures were significantly less likely to survive.
• Interestingly, the blood culture status wasn’t significantly affected by prior treatment with antimicrobial drugs.
• The horses having positive blood cultures were found to have higher heart rates, packed cell volume (PCV), and plasma potassium concentration at admission.
• Moreover, 24 hours after admission, they continued to have a higher PCV but lower overall plasma protein concentration.

Conclusions

• There exists a higher frequency of positive blood cultures in horses with diarrhea than previously reported. Such positive cultures can negatively affect these horses’ survival rate.
• Therefore, blood culture results may be valuable in predicting outcomes for horses suffering from diarrhea.
• The paper calls for more research to understand how the use of antimicrobial drugs might change the final outcome of the patients.