Serial venous lactate measurement following gastrointestinal surgery in horses.
Abstract: Prospective clinical study of blood lactate concentration in horses undergoing colic surgery is needed to determine utility in outcome prediction. Objective: To evaluate venous lactate measurements in horses following colic surgery, including immediately after anesthetic recovery and daily throughout hospitalization, as well as to determine if lactate concentrations were significantly higher in horses that developed postoperative complications or did not survive to hospital discharge. Methods: Horses > 1 year of age undergoing surgery for colic and recovered from general anesthesia were sampled. A portable lactate meter was used to measure venous samples collected immediately following anesthetic recovery and daily throughout hospitalization. Complications arising during hospitalization and survival to hospital discharge were recorded. Results: Fifty one horses were enrolled, ranging in age from 2 to 29 years. Lactate concentration immediately following anesthetic recovery was higher in horses that developed complications during hospitalization (p = 0.046). The odds of developing complications postoperatively were doubled for horses with a venous lactate concentration > 5 mmol/L. Lactate measurements in non-survivors were significantly higher compared to survivors by 96 h postoperatively (p < 0.006). Conclusions: Higher venous lactate concentrations in the postoperative colic period were associated with an increased risk of complications and death. Results suggest horses with higher venous lactate measurements in recovery are more likely to have postoperative complications, with the odds of developing complications doubled for horses with a venous lactate > 5 mmol/L. Evaluation of venous lactate could provide information on prognosis in the postoperative period for horses with surgical colic.
© 2022 The Korean Society of Veterinary Science.
Publication Date: 2022-07-15 PubMed ID: 36038187PubMed Central: PMC9523334DOI: 10.4142/jvs.22038Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research study examined the relationship between venous lactate levels in horses after colic surgery and their subsequent health outcomes. It found that higher lactate levels were linked with increased postoperative complications and mortality.
Objective of the Study
The primary aim of the study was to:
- Track the changes in venous lactate levels in horses after undergoing surgery for colic, from the point of recovery from anesthesia through the entire duration of hospitalization
- Examine the relationship between venous lactate levels and the likelihood of horses developing postoperative complications or not surviving until discharge from the hospital
Methodology
The study used the following methodology:
- The sample group was comprised of horses aged 1 year and above that had undergone colic surgery and successfully recovered from general anesthesia
- A portable lactate meter was used to measure venous lactate levels immediately after recovery from anesthesia, and this measurement process was repeated daily during the horses’ hospitalization
- All incidences of complications during hospitalization and survival until hospital discharge were recorded
Results of the Study
The study yielded the following results:
- A postoperative lactate concentration above 5 mmol/L doubled the risk of the horses developing complications
- Horses that developed complications during their hospital stay had higher lactate levels immediately after recovering from anesthesia
- The lactate measurements of the horses that didn’t survive were significantly higher than those of the survivors by 96 hours after surgery
Conclusions
The research found that:
- Increased venous lactate levels after surgery for colic were proportional to an increased risk of postoperative complications and death
- Horses with higher lactate levels after recovery from anesthesia were more likely to face postoperative complications
- Thus, evaluating venous lactate levels could provide crucial insight into prognosis for horses undergoing surgery for colic
Cite This Article
APA
Smanik LE, Moser DK, Rothers KP, Hackett ES.
(2022).
Serial venous lactate measurement following gastrointestinal surgery in horses.
J Vet Sci, 23(5), e66.
https://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.22038 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. Eileen.Hackett@cornell.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Colic / surgery
- Colic / veterinary
- Digestive System Surgical Procedures / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / surgery
- Horses
- Lactic Acid
- Postoperative Complications / veterinary
- Prospective Studies
Grant Funding
- Colorado State University Center for Companion Animal Studies
- Colorado State University Advances in Equine Health Fund
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
References
This article includes 14 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Mickevičienė I, Mikalauskienė D, Miknienė Z. The prognostic importance of physiological and biochemical parameters in horses afflicted with colic. Open Vet J 2024 Aug;14(8):1801-1807.
- Martín-Cuervo M, Gracia-Calvo LA, Macías-García B, Ezquerra LJ, Barrera R. Evaluation of Eosinopenia as a SIRS Biomarker in Critically Ill Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022 Dec 15;12(24).
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