Factors associated with outcome and gradual improvement in survival over time in 1065 equine neonates admitted to an intensive care unit.

The research paper highlights the factors associated with the gradual improvement in the survival rate of 1065 equine neonates admitted to an intensive care unit over a period of time. The study also uncovers the correlation between prevalent disorders and the fate of these equine neonates.

Objective and Methodology

• The objective of the study was threefold: to understand the frequency of neonatal disorders in a large group of foals admitted to a neonatal ICU, identify factors that contribute to their mortality, and analyze if the outcome of their health has seen a significant improvement over time.
• The research was retrospective in nature where cases from equine neonatal admissions, aged up to 14 days, between the years 1982 and 2008 were selected.
• The researchers employed multivariable logistic regression to pinpoint the disorders, clinical parameters and laboratory variables that shared a relationship with the nonsurvival or natural death, and to evaluate the survival rate over time after accounting for potential confounding variables.

Results

• The study consisted of 1065 foals. Of these, 72.8% survived and were discharged from the hospital, whereas 27.2% did not survive.
• There was a statistically significant difference in terms of age at admission, sepsis score, the proportion of foals with positive blood cultures, and the proportion of survivors, among different primary disease categories.
• Notably, factors linked to nonsurvival included positive blood culture, a low count of neutrophils, low temperature, bicarbonate levels, the presence of infectious orthopaedic disorders, and sepsis score.

Conclusion

• The study concludes that the primary disorders, sepsis, body temperature, acid-base status, and neutropenia are the key determinants of the outcome in this group of equine neonates.
• Interestingly, the odds of survival for foals admitted in the 2000s were approximately 3.4 times higher than the foals admitted in the 1980s.
• Thus, the research demonstrates a significant increase in the survival rate of equine neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care over a 26-year period.