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Equine veterinary journal1988; 20(1); 18-22; doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1988.tb01445.x

Development of a scoring system for the early diagnosis of equine neonatal sepsis.

Abstract: A sepsis scoring system was developed and tested prospectively in a blind study of 190 neonatal foals admitted to the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. The system used 14 readily available historical, clinical or laboratory variables and weighted each item to arrive at a sepsis score. The score was found to have a sensitivity of 93 per cent, a specificity of 86 per cent, positive accuracy rate of 89 per cent and negative accuracy rate of 92 per cent. The sepsis score was far more sensitive and specific for infection, even in very early cases, and had fewer false positive and false negative values than did any parameter taken individually.
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Publication Date: 1988-01-01 PubMed ID: 3366100DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1988.tb01445.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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 article presents a new scoring system developed for the early diagnosis of equine neonatal sepsis, with a high degree of accuracy and sensitivity in identifying sepsis cases from a study of 190 neonatal foals.

Introduction

  • The study sets out to develop and validate a scoring system to improve the early diagnosis of equine neonatal sepsis, a potentially fatal condition in newborn foals.
  • The motivation behind this is to identify signs of sepsis in foals quickly and accurately, allowing for prompt treatment to improve survival rates.

Methodology

  • A total of 190 neonatal foals were examined in a blind study at the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.
  • A series of 14 historical, clinical, or laboratory variables were carefully selected for their relevance to sepsis detection in foals.
  • Each variable was then weighted using a systematic method to formulate a sepsis score. It’s implied that higher scores would correlate to a higher likelihood of sepsis.

Results

  • The developed scoring system was found to have high sensitivity – at 93%, indicating an ability to correctly identify a high proportion of true sepsis cases (true positives).
  • The system also had a high specificity rate of 86%, showing a strong capability of correctly identifying foals without sepsis (true negatives).
  • The positive accuracy rate of 89% and negative accuracy rate of 92% further support the system’s high level of precision.

Conclusion

  • Compared to any individual diagnostic parameter, the developed sepsis scoring system proved to be more sensitive and specific in identifying infection, even in very early cases.
  • This implies less likelihood of encountering false positives and false negatives, making the scoring system a potentially powerful diagnostic tool for equine neonatal sepsis.
  • Such a tool can significantly enhance the chances of early intervention and successful treatment, potentially saving the lives of countless foals.

Cite This Article

APA
Brewer BD, Koterba AM. (1988). Development of a scoring system for the early diagnosis of equine neonatal sepsis. Equine Vet J, 20(1), 18-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1988.tb01445.x

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 0425-1644
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 20
Issue: 1
Pages: 18-22

Researcher Affiliations

Brewer, B D
  • Department of Medical Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville 32610.
Koterba, A M

    MeSH Terms

    • Animals
    • Animals, Newborn
    • Bacterial Infections / diagnosis
    • Bacterial Infections / veterinary
    • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
    • Horses
    • Prospective Studies

    Citations

    This article has been cited 40 times.
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