Evaluation of a telemetric gastrointestinal pill for continuous monitoring of gastrointestinal temperature in horses at rest and during exercise.

The research investigates the use of a telemetric gastrointestinal pill for monitoring GI temperature in horses at rest and during exercise, and compares it with rectal temperature data. The research found that the GI pill consistently and slightly underestimated temperature when compared to the rectal probe but proved to be safer and more practical for usage in horses.

Methods and Procedure

• The research involved 8 Standardbred horses and tested the accuracy and precision of the GI pill and a rectal probe.
• These temperature measurement methods were compared with the readings obtained from a certified resistance temperature detector (RTD) in water baths of varying temperatures (37°, 39°, and 41°C) for validation.
• The testing went on for three continuous days, monitoring both the GI and rectal temperature of the horses. GI temperature data was being recorded continuously, while the rectal temperature was recorded for 3.5 hours every day.
• The comparison between the two temperature measurements was made considering the horse’s status – at rest, during exercise, and post-exercise.

Results

• It was discovered through water bath evaluation that there was a good agreement between the rectal probe and RTD.
• The GI pill consistently, albeit systematically, underestimated temperature by 0.14°C. Yet, in-vivo, the GI temperature data was recorded with minimal issues.
• Much of the data loss occurred in the first 16 hours, after which the mean data loss was relatively low at 8.6 ± 3.7%.
• There was a consistent significant higher observed GI temperature than rectal temperature by an overall mean temperature difference of 0.27°C (ranging from 0.22° to 0.32°C).
• The GI pill ceased to measure at an average of 5.1 ± 1.0 days after administration.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

The research concluded that despite the slight underestimation of temperature by the GI pill, it proved to be a reliable and practical tool for continuous, real-time monitoring of gastrointestinal temperature in horses. The findings could lead to a shift from the somewhat invasive rectal temperature measurement to the use of GI pills for routine use on horses.