Evaluation of plasma muscle enzyme activity as an indicator of lesion characteristics and prognosis in horses undergoing celiotomy for acute gastrointestinal pain.
Abstract: In horses undergoing celiotomy for acute gastrointestinal pain, identification of variables correlating with lesion severity and location, and survival provide veterinarians and owners with information that aids in making informed decisions regarding appropriate treatment. Muscle enzyme activity is often increased in horses undergoing celiotomy for acute gastrointestinal pain and it is not known if muscle enzyme activity increase is specific to lesion type or impacts prognosis for survival. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship of pre-operative increase in muscle enzyme activities with intestinal lesion characteristics, specifically lesion location (large versus small intestine) and whether it was strangulating versus nonstrangulating, and case survival in horses undergoing celiotomy for acute gastrointestinal pain. Methods: Records of 241 horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy for colic were reviewed retrospectively. Evaluation of preoperative plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activities, fibrinogen and glucose concentrations, and hematocrit (HCT) and their association with gastrointestinal lesion characteristics and survival was performed. Results: Pre-operative increase in plasma CK and AST activity, and HCT and decrease in plasma bilirubin concentration were significantly associated with presence of lesions resulting in intestinal ischemia. Increase in plasma CK activity and HCT were significantly associated with a decreased probability of survival to hospital discharge. Plasma GGT and SDH activity, and glucose and fibrinogen concentration were not significantly associated with survival or severity of disease in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Plasma muscle enzyme activity may be useful as a prognostic indicator in equine colic cases. Given that increases in plasma CK and AST activity were significantly associated with nonsurvival and the presence of intestinal ischemia, preoperative increase in these enzyme activities could assist in identification of disease severity and prognosis of horses undergoing celiotomy for acute gastrointestinal pain. Further study is indicated to elucidate the etiology of increased muscle enzyme activity in horses with surgical colic disease observed in this preliminary study.
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The research paper explored how the increase in muscle enzyme activity in horses undergoing celiotomy for acute gastrointestinal pain could be an indicator of intestinal lesion characteristics and prognosis. Analysis of data from 241 horse surgeries found significant correlations between enzyme activity and disease severity, with some markers proving better predictors of survival chances.
Study Objective
This research aimed to investigate if there was a connection between the pre-operative rise in muscle enzyme activities with characteristics of intestinal lesions and survival rates in horses undergoing cetliotomy for acute gastrointestinal distress. Particular emphasis was placed on lesion location (large versus small intestine) and whether the lesions were strangulating or nonstrangulating.
Methodology
A retrospective review was conducted on records of 241 horses that had undergone an exploratory laparotomy for colic.
The researchers evaluated preoperative plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activities.
They also analyzed fibrinogen and glucose levels and hematocrit (HCT) for any associations with gastrointestinal lesion characteristics and the horse’s survival.
Findings
An increase in plasma CK and AST activity before surgery, as well as HCT, coupled with a decrease in plasma bilirubin concentration, showed a significant link with the presence of intestinal lesions that result in ischemia, a restriction in blood supply.
Increased CK activity in plasma and HCT were strongly associated with a lowered likelihood of survival until hospital discharge.
There was no significant association found between plasma GGT and SDH activity, glucose, and fibrinogen concentration with survival rates or disease severity upon multivariate analysis.
Conclusion
This study suggests that plasma muscle enzyme activity could potentially be a useful prognostic tool in equine colic cases.
The significant association between non-survival and the presence of intestinal ischemia with increased plasma CK and AST activities hint that a rise in these enzyme activities before surgery could assist in identifying disease severity and predicting outcomes.
However, further research is needed to uncover the cause of increased muscle enzyme activity witnessed in horses suffering from surgical colic disease, as this was only a preliminary study.
Cite This Article
APA
Krueger CR, Ruple-Czerniak A, Hackett ES.
(2014).
Evaluation of plasma muscle enzyme activity as an indicator of lesion characteristics and prognosis in horses undergoing celiotomy for acute gastrointestinal pain.
BMC Vet Res, 10 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), S7.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-10-S1-S7
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