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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Intern Med / Blood glucose in horses with acute abdominal disease.
Journal of veterinary internal medicine2007; 21(5); 1099-1103; doi: 10.1892/0891-6640(2007)21[1099:bgihwa]2.0.co;2

Blood glucose in horses with acute abdominal disease.

Abstract: Hyperglycemia in critically ill humans is associated with increased glucose production and insulin resistance and is associated with death. This might also be true in horses presenting with acute abdominal disease. Objective: Throughout hospitalization, hyperglycemia will be common in adult horses presenting with acute abdominal disease. Hyperglycemia will be associated with a worse prognosis for survival to hospital discharge. Methods: Two hundred sixty-nine adult horses with acute abdominal disease. Methods: Observational retrospective study. Records were reviewed for 269 horses that had glucose data analysed and recorded at the time of hospital admission: 154 horses had a first sample after admission; 110 horses at 24 hours after admission; 74 horses at 36 hours after admission; and 49 horses at 48 hours after admission. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association of glucose concentrations with survival, in addition to the association of glucose concentrations with surgical, small intestinal, strangulating lesions, and lesions requiring a resection. Results: Of 269 horses presenting with acute abdominal disease, 50.2% had blood glucose concentrations greater than the reference range (75.6-131.4 mg/dL); 0.4%, below the reference range; and 49.4%, within the reference range at admission. Of 269 horses, 2.3% had blood glucose concentrations below the reference range at some point during the first 48 hours of hospitalization, all of which had strangulating intestinal lesions. Horses that did not survive to hospital discharge had a higher mean blood glucose concentration at admission; at the first sample after admission; at 24, 36, and 48 hours after admission; and higher maximum and minimum blood glucose concentrations in the first 24 hours after admission. Conclusions: Derangements of blood glucose concentration are common in horses with acute abdominal disease. Hyperglycemia is much more common than hypoglycemia in these animals. Hyperglycemia in the first 48 hours of hospitalization is associated with a worse prognosis for survival to hospital discharge.
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Publication Date: 2007-10-18 PubMed ID: 17939570DOI: 10.1892/0891-6640(2007)21[1099:bgihwa]2.0.co;2Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research focused on the occurrence of high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, in adult horses with acute abdominal disease. It also investigated if this hyperglycemia was associated with a worse prognosis for survival in these horses. It was found that high blood sugar is common in such cases and is connected to higher chances of death during hospitalization.

Objective and Methods

The study’s main aim was to understand the frequency of hyperglycemia in adult horses suffering from acute abdominal disease and determine whether this condition impacts their survival chance till hospital discharge. The methods deployed for this research involved the analysis of medical records of 269 adult horses that had acute abdominal diseases.

  • The researchers assessed the glucose data at multiple intervals: At the time of hospital admission, after admission, 24 hours post-admission, 36 hours post-admission, and 48 hours post-admission.
  • They performed logistic regression analyses to evaluate the association of blood glucose concentrations with survival, and the relationship of these concentrations with surgical, small intestinal, strangulating lesions, and lesions requiring a resection.

Results

The results of the research revealed significant insight into the occurrence of hyperglycemia in such horses and its impact on their survival.

  • Of the 269 horses, half had blood glucose concentrations higher than the reference range at the time of admission. Only a negligible proportion had blood glucose concentrations below the reference range, and the rest were within the acceptable range.
  • Important to note that all horses that had blood glucose levels below the reference range at any point during the first 48 hours of hospitalization had strangulating intestinal lesions.
  • Furthermore, horses that didn’t survive until hospital discharge displayed higher mean blood glucose concentration at admission and at all intervals after admission. They also had higher maximum and minimum blood glucose concentrations in the first 24 hours after admission.

Conclusions

The study concluded that imbalances in blood glucose concentrations are common among horses with acute abdominal diseases. Hyperglycemia is remarkably more prevalent than hypoglycemia in these horses. The study importantly found an association between hyperglycemia within the initial 48 hours of hospitalization and a worse prognosis for survival until hospital discharge.

Cite This Article

APA
Hollis AR, Boston RC, Corley KT. (2007). Blood glucose in horses with acute abdominal disease. J Vet Intern Med, 21(5), 1099-1103. https://doi.org/10.1892/0891-6640(2007)21[1099:bgihwa]2.0.co;2

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 0891-6640
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 21
Issue: 5
Pages: 1099-1103

Researcher Affiliations

Hollis, A R
  • New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA 19348 ahollis@vet.upenn.edu
Boston, R C
    Corley, K T T

      MeSH Terms

      • Animals
      • Blood Glucose / metabolism
      • Female
      • Horse Diseases / blood
      • Horse Diseases / pathology
      • Horses
      • Hyperglycemia / blood
      • Hyperglycemia / pathology
      • Hyperglycemia / veterinary
      • Intestinal Diseases / blood
      • Intestinal Diseases / pathology
      • Intestinal Diseases / veterinary
      • Male
      • Retrospective Studies
      • Survival Analysis

      Citations

      This article has been cited 12 times.
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