Total plasma magnesium in healthy and critically ill foals.

This research article investigates the importance of total plasma magnesium (tMg) levels in newborn foals, both healthy and critically ill. It concludes that tMg could be a valuable indicator in diagnosing perinatal asphyxia syndrome (PAS) and predicting the prognosis in critically ill foals.

Research Background

• The study begins by noting that plasma or serum tMg abnormalities are often found in critically ill humans, leading to higher mortality rates, especially in adults and newborns suffering from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy; a brain dysfunction caused by a reduced supply of oxygen.
• Previous research has been conducted on dogs, cats, and adult horses, but there have been relatively few studies on newborn foals in regards to Mg concentration.

Research Goals

• The study aims to compare two different methods of determining tMg in plasma: the automated colorimetric method and atomic absorption spectrometry. It also intends to measure plasma tMg in healthy foals as well as sick ones during the first 72 hours after birth or upon hospitalization.
• The researchers then seek to compare the tMg levels among healthy foals, and those affected by different conditions: perinatal asphyxia syndrome (PAS), prematurity, dismaturity, and sepsis. The efficacy of plasma tMg concentration in predicting foal survival was also evaluated.

Research Findings

• Out of 117 foals studied, 20 were healthy and 97 were sick. The automated method, typically used in clinical practice, appeared to overestimate plasma tMg levels. Therefore, the study suggests that atomic absorption spectrometry be considered the superior method due to its higher specificity and sensitivity, even if it requires special technical skills and equipment not readily available in most labs.
• In healthy newborn foals, the plasma tMg levels ranged from 0.52 to 1.01 mmol/L, showing no significant change during the first 72 hours of life. However, in critically ill foals, plasma tMg levels were found to be significantly higher at the time of admission (T0) compared to subsequent levels taken at later times.
• Notably, foals affected by PAS had significantly higher tMg levels at T0 than healthy foals or those suffering from sepsis or prematurity/dysmaturity.
• The research also revealed that non-surviving foals had significantly higher plasma tMg levels at T0 than surviving foals. This suggests that plasma tMg could be a useful diagnostic and prognostic tool in the treatment of critically ill foals, particularly those affected by PAS.