Blood gas and acid–base status in spontaneously delivered, term-induced and induced premature foals.

The research article discusses a study on the blood gas and acid-base levels in different categories of foals – those born spontaneously, those induced at term, and those induced prematurely. The findings indicate that prematurely induced foals surviving less than 9 hours had significantly lower oxygen levels compared to both those surviving more than 24 hours after birth and those born at term.

Objective of the Research

• The research aimed to determine the values of oxygen partial pressure (PO2), carbon dioxide partial pressure (PCO2), blood acidity (pH), base excess, and bicarbonate (HCO3) in the arterial blood of foals born in different conditions – spontaneous delivery, induced at term, and induced prematurely.

Methodology

• The study was conducted on three categories of foals: six spontaneously delivered, eight Thoroughbred foals induced at term using fluprostenol, and 17 Pony foals induced prematurely using fluprostenol and oxytocin between the gestational ages of 270 and 330 days.
• The premature Pony foals were further divided into two sub-groups based on the extent of their survival: those surviving longer than 24 hours and those surviving less than 9 hours.

Findings

• The researchers found that the values of blood gas and acid-base were similar between foals born spontaneously and those induced at term.
• Premature foals that survived beyond 24 hours had significantly lower PaO2 levels at 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and one hour after birth when compared to term-induced foals. There were no notable differences in carbon dioxide levels (PaCO2) or pH between these two groups.
• Prematurely induced foals that survived less than 9 hours exhibited significantly lower oxygen levels (PaO2) than term-induced foals at all measurements times. They also had far lower oxygen levels than those surviving more than 24 hours at the 1.5-4 hour measurement interval.
• The prematurely induced foals surviving less than 9 hours also had significantly higher carbon dioxide levels (PaCO2) and significantly lower pH levels compared to both other groups, indicating a state of acidosis, which could also be a contributing factor to their early demise.