Arterial Blood Gas, Electrolyte and Acid-Base Values as Diagnostic and Prognostic Indicators in Equine Colic

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate if arterial blood analysis in conscious horses presenting with signs of colic and breathing ambient air had diagnostic or prognostic value. Arterial blood samples from 352 horses presenting with colic at a university equine referral hospital were analysed for pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO₂), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂), concentrations of sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), ionised calcium (Ca²⁺) and chloride (Cl⁻), actual and standardised plasma bicarbonate concentration (HCO₃⁻ (P) and HCO₃⁻ (P, st)), blood and extracellular fluid base excess (Base (B) and Base (ecf)) and anion gap (AG). Results were compared to previously reported values for healthy horses, and comparisons were made between final diagnosis, treatment and survival to hospital discharge. Significant differences were found between colic cases and healthy reference values between some primary aetiologies. Overall, surgical and non-surgical colic cases differed in Ca²⁺ and Cl⁻ concentrations and Ca²⁺ differed between cases that survived to discharge and those that did not. PaO₂ differed between small intestinal surgical cases that survived and those that did not. From these results, we developed regression models that demonstrated excellent or good predictive value in identifying the likelihood of surgical versus medical management and survival to hospital discharge.