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Clinical and clinicopathological characteristics of the septicaemic neonatal foal: review of 38 cases.
Abstract: In an effort to identify improved methods for diagnosis of infection in the neonatal foal, clinical records from 38 septicaemic foals of less than one week of age were examined for trends in history, physical examination and clinicopathological findings. The survival rate of septicaemic foals, 26 per cent, was markedly less than the rate for all other foal admissions. Blood cultures were valuable in diagnosis and treatment of septicaemia and identified a preponderance of Gram-negative infection. Zinc sulphate turbidity test results were abnormally low in all septicaemic foals tested. The clinical course was often distinguished by severe complications and multiple organ dysfunction, leading to death. Conditions present in the mare pre-partum resulted in weak or diseased foals; bacterial placentitis, vaginal discharge and premature lactation were most common. There was no single diagnostic criterion of the septicaemic foal. Fever was not a consistent finding. The most useful white blood cell parameters were neutropenia, the presence of band neutrophils (greater than 0.2 X 10(9)/litre) and toxic changes in the neutrophil population. Hypoglycaemia, metabolic acidosis and hypoxaemia were also common findings.
Publication Date: 1984-07-01 PubMed ID: 6479139DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1984.tb01950.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research investigates the factors affecting the diagnosis of infection in newborn foals under one week old, indicating a low survival rate among infected foals and highlighting the value of blood cultures in both diagnosis and treatment.
Investigation Methodology
- The researchers studied clinical records from 38 neonatal foals with septicaemia in order to observe trends in their medical history, physical examinations, and clinicopathological findings.
- Various elements, such as conditions present in the mare pre-partum and results of Zinc sulphate turbidity tests, were considered while studying the records.
Key Findings
- The study found that the survival rate of septicaemic neonatal foals was significantly lower than that of all other foal admissions, highlighting the severity of this condition.
- Blood culture tests were found to be very useful in diagnosing and treating septicaemia, with a majority of the infections being Gram-negative.
- Zinc sulphate turbidity tests showed consistently low results in all septicaemic foals they were conducted on. This implies that this test might be of value in the diagnosis of the condition.
- Complications, often severe and leading to multiple organ dysfunction, were common occurrences in the clinical course, usually leading to death of the foal.
- Pre-partum conditions in the mare played a crucial part in the vulnerability of the foals towards becoming weak or diseased. Bacterial placentitis, premature lactation and vaginal discharge were the most common conditions that could potentially lead to a foal being born weak or diseased.
Diagnostic Criteria
- According to the researchers, no single diagnostic criterion could reliably identify a septicaemic foal.
- Fever was found to be rather inconsistent, suggesting that it cannot be solely relied upon as a symptom for diagnosis of septicaemia in foals.
- The most helpful parameters from white blood cell count were neutropenia, the presence of band neutrophils (in quantities greater than 0.2 X 10(9)/litre), and toxic changes in the neutrophil population.
- Hypoglycaemia, metabolic acidosis and hypoxaemia were identified as common findings in septicaemic neonatal foals.
Cite This Article
APA
Koterba AM, Brewer BD, Tarplee FA.
(1984).
Clinical and clinicopathological characteristics of the septicaemic neonatal foal: review of 38 cases.
Equine Vet J, 16(4), 376-382.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1984.tb01950.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn / immunology
- Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
- Colostrum / immunology
- Female
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horses
- Male
- Prognosis
- Sepsis / diagnosis
- Sepsis / drug therapy
- Sepsis / immunology
- Sepsis / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 17 times.- Graham AE, Colgate VA, Floyd EF. Antibiograms of Bacterial Cultures From Equine Neonates at a United Kingdom Hospital: 381 Samples (2018-2023). J Vet Intern Med 2025 Sep-Oct;39(5):e70198.
- Wong D, Sahoo DK, Faivre C, Kopper J, Dersh K, Beachler T, Esser M. Oxidative stress in critically ill neonatal foals. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Jan-Feb;39(1):e17297.
- Castelain DL, Dufourni A, Pas ML, Bokma J, de Bruijn E, Paulussen E, Lefère L, van Loon G, Pardon B. Retrospective cohort study on diseases and risk factors associated with death in hospitalized neonatal foals. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Jan-Feb;39(1):e17269.
- Samuels AN, Kamr AM, Reed SM, Slovis NM, Hostnik LD, Burns TA, Toribio RE. Association of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio with outcome in sick hospitalized neonatal foals. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Mar-Apr;38(2):1196-1206.
- Morales-Vázquez MM, Meza-Serrano E, Lara-Pereyra I, Acuña-González RJ, Alonso-Morales R, Hayen-Valles S, Boeta AM, Zarco L, Lozano-Cuenca J, López-Canales JS, Flores-Herrera H. Equine Placentitis in Mares Induces the Secretion of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine eIL-1β and the Active Extracellular Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. Vet Sci 2023 Aug 22;10(9).
- Scalco R, de Oliveira GN, da Rosa Curcio B, Wooten M, Magdesian KG, Hidai ST, Pandit P, Aleman M. Red blood cell distribution width to platelet ratio in neonatal foals with sepsis. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jul-Aug;37(4):1552-1560.
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- Ekstrand C, Nostell K, Gehring R, Bondesson U, Bröjer J. The disposition of trimethoprim and sulfadiazine in neonatal foals after intravenous administration. Vet Med Sci 2022 May;8(3):1065-1071.
- Raidal SL, Catanchin CSM, Burgmeestre L, Quinn CT. Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure for Non-invasive Respiratory Support of Foals. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:741720.
- Aoki T, Chiba A, Itoh M, Nambo Y, Yamagishi N, Shibano KI, Cheong SH. Colostral and foal serum immunoglobulin G levels and associations with perinatal abnormalities in heavy draft horses in Japan. J Equine Sci 2020 Jun;31(2):29-34.
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