FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Journal of veterinary internal medicine2020; 34(6); 2738-2750; doi: 10.1111/jvim.15923

Factors associated with the risk of positive blood culture in neonatal foals presented to a referral center (2000-2014).

Abstract: Bloodstream infections (BSI) are common in sick foals and increase foal morbidity and mortality when they occur. Recognition of risk factors for BSI could be an important means to limit their occurrence, but studies on this topic are limited. Objective: Historical as well as maternal and foal physical examination findings will predict risk of BSI in neonatal foals. Methods: Foals <14 days of age admitted to a referral equine hospital for care. Methods: Retrospective case-control study with univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: Four hundred twenty-nine (143 cases and 286 controls) foals <14 days of age were studied. Risk of a foal having a BSI was increased in foals with umbilical disease (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 11.01; P = .02), hypoglycemia (adjusted OR, 13.51; P = .03), and the combined presence of umbilical disease and low hematocrit (adjusted OR, >999.99; P = .04). Factors not found to be risk factors for development of BSI included prematurity, hypothermia, abdominal disease, diarrhea, failure of passive transfer, and maternal uterine infection. Conclusions: Several historical and physical examination findings increase the risk of foals being blood culture positive at presentation to the hospital. This knowledge may aid early identification of blood culture status, thus aiding in treatment decisions.
© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2020-10-12 PubMed ID: 33044020PubMed Central: PMC7694804DOI: 10.1111/jvim.15923Google 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.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

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.

The research article focuses on determining the risk factors that increase the likelihood of bloodstream infections in neonatal foals. The study found that factors like umbilical disease, hypo-glycemia, and low hematocrit significantly increase the risk of such infections. Conversely, hypothermia, prematurity, abdominal disease, diarrhea, and maternal uterine infection were not found to cause an increase.

Research Objective and Methods

  • The primary objective of this research was to predict risk factors associated with bloodstream infections (BSI) in newborn horses. Knowing these risks could help in the early diagnosis and management of BSI, which increases the mortality and morbidity rate in foals.
  • The researchers conducted a retrospective case-control study using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis. These methods were utilized to assess and establish the relationship between different factors and the incidence of bloodstream infections.
  • The subjects of the study were foals less than 14 days old admitted to a referral equine hospital. A total of 429 foals were examined, divided into 143 cases (foals with BSI) and 286 controls (foals without BSI).

Research Findings

  • The study revealed that foals with umbilical disease, suffering from hypoglycemia, or having low hematocrit are at an increased risk of developing BSI. The odds ratios associated with these conditions were found to be 11.01, 13.51, and greater than 999.99 respectively, and each has a significant p-value (less than 0.05).
  • Other factors like prematurity, hypothermia, abdominal disease, diarrhea, failure of passive transfer, and maternal uterine infection did not increase the risk of BSI. This suggests that these factors are not direct correlates of bloodstream infection in neonatal foals.

Conclusion and Implications

  • The research concluded that certain historical and physical examination parameters could indicate a higher risk of foals testing positive for BSI upon their admission to the hospital. Understanding these factors may aid in earlier detection and decision-making regarding treatment approaches.
  • The knowledge gleaned from this study could be of great use to veterinarians and other medical personnel in the equine industry. It provides important insights into disease management and prevention strategies for the care of new-born foals.

Cite This Article

APA
Furr M, McKenzie H. (2020). Factors associated with the risk of positive blood culture in neonatal foals presented to a referral center (2000-2014). J Vet Intern Med, 34(6), 2738-2750. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15923

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 34
Issue: 6
Pages: 2738-2750

Researcher Affiliations

Furr, Martin
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA.
McKenzie, Harold
  • Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Blood Culture / veterinary
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Horse Diseases
  • Horses
  • Referral and Consultation
  • Retrospective Studies

Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

This article includes 46 references
  1. Cohen ND. Causes of and farm management factors associated with disease and death in foals.. J Amer Vet Med Assoc 1994;204:1644‐1651.
    pubmed: 8050947
  2. Marsh PS, Palmer JE. Bacterial isolates from blood and their susceptibility patterns in critically ill foals: 543 cses (1991 ‐ 1998).. J Amer Vet Med Assoc 2001;218:1608‐1610.
    pubmed: 11393374
  3. Corley KTT, Donaldson LL, Furr MO. Arterial lactate concentration, hospital survival, sepsis and SIRS in critically ill neonatal foals.. Equine Vet J 2005;37:53‐59.
    pubmed: 15651735
  4. Hytychovka T, Bezdekova B. Retrospective evaluation of blood culture isolates and sepsis survival rate in foals in The Czech Republic: 50 cases (2011 ‐2013).. J Vet Emer Crit Care 2015;25:660‐666.
    pubmed: 26220509
  5. Russell CM, Axon JE, Bllishen A. Blood culture isolates and antimicrobial sensitivities from 427 critically ill neonatal foals.. Aust Vet J 2008;86:266‐271.
    pubmed: 18616477
  6. Hollis AR, Wilkins PA, Palmer JE, Boston RC. Bacteremia in equine neonatal diarrhea: a retrospective study (1990 ‐2007).. J Vet Intern Med 2008;22:1203‐1209.
    pubmed: 18638014
  7. Furr M, Tinker MK, Edens L. Prognosis for neonatal foals in an intensive care unit.. J Vet Intern Med 1997;11:183‐188.
    pubmed: 9183771
  8. Hoffman AM, Staempfli HR, Willan A. Prognostic variables for survival of neonatal foals under intensive care.. J Vet Intern Med 1992;6:89‐95.
    pubmed: 1588547
  9. Borchers A, Wilkins PA, Marsh PA. Association of admission L‐lactate concentrations in hospitalized equine neonates with presenting complaint, periparturient events, clinical diagnosis, and outcome: a prospective multicentre study.. Equine Vet Educ 2012;44:57‐63.
    pubmed: 22594028
  10. Giguere S, Weber EJ, Sanchez LC. Factors associated with outcome and gradual improvement in survival over time in 1065 equine neonates admitted to an intensive care unit.. Equine Vet J 2015;49:45‐50.
    pubmed: 26538009
  11. Jeffcoat LB, Jeffcoat TJ. Studies on passive immunity in the foal III. The characterization and significance of neonatal proteinuria.. J Comp Pathol 1974;84:455‐465.
    pubmed: 4142878
  12. Peek SF, Semrad S, McGuirk SM. Prognostic value of clinicopathological variables obtained at admission and effect of antiendotoxin plasma on survival in septic and critically ill foals.. J Vet Intern Med 2006;20:569‐574.
    pubmed: 16734091
  13. Taylor S. A review of equine sepsis.. Equine Vet Educ 2015;27:99‐109.
    pmc: PMC7163761pubmed: 32313390
  14. Brewer BD, Koterba AM, Carter RL, Rowe ED. Comparison of emperically developed sepsis score with a computer generated and weighted scoring system for the identification of sepsis in the equine neonate.. Equine Vet J 1988;20:23‐24.
    pubmed: 3284743
  15. Brewer BD, Koterba AM. Development of a scoring system for the early diagnosis of equine neonatal sepsis.. Equine Vet J 1988;20:18‐22.
    pubmed: 3366100
  16. Bauer JE, Harvey RL, Asquith RL. Clinical chemistry reference values for foals during the first year of life.. Equine Vet J 1984;16:361‐363.
    pubmed: 6479134
  17. Aguilera‐Tejero E, Esepa JC, Lopez I. Arterial blood gases and acid‐base balance in healthy young and aged horses.. Equine Vet J 1998;30:352‐354.
    pubmed: 9705121
  18. Stewart JH, Rose RJ, Barko AM. Respiratory studies in foals from birth to seven days old.. Equine Vet J 1984;16:323‐328.
    pubmed: 6479127
  19. Harvey JW, Asquith RL, McNulty PK. Haematology of foals up to one year old.. Equine Vet J 1984;16:347‐353.
    pubmed: 6479131
  20. Peat J, Barton B. Categorical variable: risk statistic. In: Peat J, Barton B, eds. Medical Statistics: A Guide to Data Analysis and Critical Appraisal. London: BMJ Books; 2005:241‐266.
  21. Hilbe JM. Regression L. In: Lovirc M, ed. Encyclopedia of Statistical Science. Berlin: Springer; 2011.
  22. Wilkins PA. Sepsis. In: Reed S, Bayly W, Sellon D, eds. Equine Internal Medicine. St. Louis: Saunders; 2010:1329‐1332.
  23. Corley KTT, Furr MO. Evaluation of a score designed to predict sepsis in foals.. J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2003;13:149‐155.
  24. Leighton P, Cortina‐Borja M, Miller M. Risk‐adjusted comparisons of bloodstream infection rates in neonatal intensive‐care units.. Clin Micro Infect 2012;18:1206‐1211.
    pubmed: 22264276
  25. Weber EJ, Sanchez LC, Larson EL. Re‐evaluation of the sepsis score in equine neonates.. Equine Vet J 2015;47:275‐278.
    pubmed: 24750245
  26. Perlman SE, Saimon L, Larson EL. Risk factors for late‐onset health care‐associated bloodstream infections in patients in neonatal intensive care units.. Amer J Infect Control 2007;35:177‐182.
    pmc: PMC2094724pubmed: 17433941
  27. Levit O, Bhandari V, Li F. Clinical and laboratory factors that predict death in very low birth weight infants presenting with late‐onset sepsis.. Ped Infect Dis 2014;33:143‐146.
    pmc: PMC3917323pubmed: 24418836
  28. Bagshaw SM, Egi M, George C, Bellomo R, Australia New Zealand Intensive Care Society Database Management Committee. Early blood glucose control and mortality in critically ill patients in Australia.. Crit Care Med 2009;37:463‐470.
    pubmed: 19114915
  29. Krinsley JS, Grover A. Severe hypoglycemia in critically ill patients: risk factors and outcomes.. Crit Care Med 2007;35:2262‐2267.
    pubmed: 17717490
  30. Park S, Suh GY, Kang JG. Mild hypoglycemia is independently associated with increased risk of mortality in patients with sepsis: a 3‐year retrosepective observational study.. Crit Care 2012;16:R189.
    pmc: PMC3682291pubmed: 23062226
  31. Metsvaht T, Pisarev H, Ilmoja M. Clinical parameters predicting failure of empirical antibacterial therapy in early onset neonatal sepsis, identified by classification and regression tree analysis.. BMC Pediatr 2009;9:72‐83.
    pmc: PMC2789707pubmed: 19930706
  32. Madrid L, Acacio S, Nhamppossa T. Hypoglycemia and risk factors for death in 13 years of pediatric admissions in Mozambique.. Amer J Trop Med Hygiene 2016;94:218‐226.
    pmc: PMC4710433pubmed: 26503282
  33. Hollis AR, Furr MO, Magdesian KG. Blood glucose concentrations in critically ill neonatal foals.. J Vet Intern Med 2008;22:1223‐1227.
    pubmed: 18691362
  34. Wong DM, Ruby RE, Dembeck KA. Evaluation of updated sepsis scoring systems and systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria and their association with sepsis in equine neonates.. J Vet Intern Med 2018;32:1185‐1193.
    pmc: PMC5980351pubmed: 29582480
  35. Ratter JM, Rooijhackers HM, Tack CJ. Proinflammatory effects of hypoglycemia in humans with or without diabetes.. Diabetes 2017;2017:1052‐1061.
    pubmed: 28115398
  36. Hackett ES, Lunn DP, Ferris RA, Horohov DW, Lappin MR, McCue P. Detection of bacteraemia and host response in healthy neonatal foals.. Equine Vet J 2015;47:405‐409.
    pubmed: 24917427
  37. Toombs‐Ruane L, Riley CB, Kendall AT. Antimicrobial susceptability of bacteria isolated from neonatal foal samples submitted to a New Zealand veterinary pathology laboratory (2004 ‐ 2013).. NZ Vet J 2016;64:107‐111.
    pubmed: 26496417
  38. Theelen MJ, Wilson WD, Edman JM. Temporal trends in prevelence of bacteria isolated from foals with sepsis: 1979 ‐ 2010.. Equine Vet J 2014;46:169‐173.
    pubmed: 23808819
  39. Dawson S. Blood culture contaminants.. J Hosp Infect 2014;87:1‐10.
    pubmed: 24768211
  40. Bates DW, Goldman L, Lee TH. Contaminant blood cultures and resource utlization. The True Consequences of False‐Positive Results. J Amer Med Assoc 1991;265:365‐369.
    pubmed: 1984535
  41. Lamy B, Dargere S, Arendrup MC. How to optimize the use of blood cultures for the diagnosis of bloodstream infections? A state of the art.. Frontiers in Micro 2016;7:697.
    pmc: PMC4863885pubmed: 27242721
  42. Bakeris LG, Tworek JA, Walsh MK. Trends in blood culture contamination. A College of American Pathologists Q‐track study of 356 institutions.. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2005;129:1222e‐1225e.
    pubmed: 16196507
  43. Dargere S, Parienti JJ, Roupie E. Unique blood culture for diagnosis of bloodstream infections in emergency departments: a prospective multicentre study.. Clin Micro Infect 2014;20:920‐927.
    pubmed: 24766148
  44. Harvey D, Albert S. Standardized definition of contamination and evidence based target necessary for high quality blood culture contamination rate audit.. J Hosp Infect 2013;83:265‐266.
    pubmed: 23313025
  45. Hall RT, Domenico HJ, Self WH. Reducing the blood culture contamination rate in a pediatric emergency department and subsequent cost savings.. Ped 2013;131:292‐297.
    pubmed: 23209105
  46. Last JM. In: Last JM, Spasoff RA, Harris SS, Thuriaux MC, eds. A Dictionary of Epidemiology. 4th ed. London: Oxford University Press; 2001.

Citations

This article has been cited 8 times.
  1. Castelain D, Bokma J, Pas ML, Verbanck S, Paepe D, Pardon B, Boyen F. Accuracy of two Sepsityper MALDI-TOF MS methods for bacterial identification in bloodstream infections in dogs, foals, and calves using Bayesian latent class model. Vet Q 2025 Dec;45(1):2538873.
    doi: 10.1080/01652176.2025.2538873pubmed: 40819314google scholar: lookup
  2. 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.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.70198pubmed: 40802493google scholar: lookup
  3. Wilkins PA, Wong D, Slovis NM, Collins N, Barr BS, MacKenzie C, De Solis CN, Castagnetti C, Mariella J, Burns T, Perkins G, Delvescovo B, Sanchez LC, Kemper AM, Magdesian KG, Bedenice D, Taylor SD, Gold J, Dunkel B, Pranzo G, Constable PD. The Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and Predictors of Infection and Mortality in 1068 Critically Ill Newborn Foals. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Mar-Apr;39(2):e70004.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.70004pubmed: 40091577google scholar: lookup
  4. 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.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.17269pubmed: 39690128google scholar: lookup
  5. Dias Moreira AS, Weng HY, Hostnik LD, Beasley EM, Peek SF, Munsterman AS. Evaluation of point-of-care capillary and venous blood glucose concentrations in hospitalized neonatal foals. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio) 2024 Nov-Dec;34(6):570-578.
    doi: 10.1111/vec.13429pubmed: 39558467google scholar: lookup
  6. 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.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16793pubmed: 37306395google scholar: lookup
  7. Bookbinder LC, Mani R, Carr EA. Antibiograms of field and hospital acquired equine neonatal bacterial fluid cultures in the Midwestern United States: 149 samples (2007-2018). J Vet Intern Med 2023 May-Jun;37(3):1193-1200.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16671pubmed: 37029453google scholar: lookup
  8. Colmer SF, Luethy D, Abraham M, Stefanovski D, Hurcombe SD. Utility of cell-free DNA concentrations and illness severity scores to predict survival in critically ill neonatal foals. PLoS One 2021;16(4):e0242635.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242635pubmed: 33901192google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,780 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.