Usefulness of a Point-of-Care Analyzer to Measure Cardiac Troponin I and D-Dimer Concentrations in Critically Ill Horses With Gastrointestinal Diseases.

This research article explores the use of a point-of-care (POC) system, AQT90 FLEX, for measuring specific heart and blood clot markers in horses with gastrointestinal diseases and how this can aid in distinguishing healthy from sick animals.

Objective and Study Sample

• Researchers wanted to validate the use and effectiveness of an AQT90 FLEX POC system in horses, particularly for measuring cardiac troponin (cTnI) and D-dimers. This is the first such study involving horses.
• The study involved a sample of 33 horses, 10 were healthy (control group) while the other 21 suffered from various gastrointestinal diseases. Those with illnesses were even further categorized according to their state – survivors and non-survivors.
• The ailments in the diseased horses were also grouped into three categories – inflammatory, obstructive, and diseases related to intestinal constriction or strangulated diseases.

Method and Measurements

• Validation of the AQT90 FLEX POC system was done through studying linearity, coefficient of variation, and detection limits.
• The system was then used to measure the blood concentrations of cTnI (a heart illness marker) and D-dimers (a marker indicating active blood clot formation and degradation), in both healthy and diseased horses.

Findings

• Diseased horses showed noticeable higher levels of cTnI and D-dimers. However, the specific type of disease or its outcome (whether the horse survived or not) did not result in statistically significant difference in these measurements.

Conclusion

• The AQT90 FLEX POC system was shown to be effective for measuring levels of cTnI and D-dimers in horses with gastrointestinal diseases.
• The system is quick, practical, and minimally invasive, providing a useful tool in determining the severity of illness in horses, and possibly in other animals as well.