Blood glucose in horses with acute abdominal disease.
Authors: Hollis A R, Boston R C, Corley K T T
Journal: Journal of veterinary internal medicine
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Blood glucose in horses with acute abdominal disease Hollis, Boston & Corley (2007) conducted a retrospective analysis of 269 horses admitted with acute abdominal disease to investigate whether blood glucose derangements—documented at admission and at 24, 36, and 48 hours post-admission—predicted survival outcomes and specific surgical findings, given that hyperglycaemia in critically ill human patients correlates with increased mortality. Half of the horses presented with elevated blood glucose (>131.4 mg/dL) at admission, whilst only 0.4% were hypoglycaemic, and notably all horses developing hypoglycaemia within the first 48 hours had strangulating intestinal lesions. Non-survivors demonstrated significantly elevated mean glucose concentrations at every timepoint throughout the first two days of hospitalisation, including higher maximum and minimum values in the first 24 hours, establishing hyperglycaemia as an independent negative prognostic indicator. These findings suggest that serial blood glucose monitoring during the acute phase provides clinically relevant prognostic information alongside traditional indicators, and the consistent association between hypoglycaemia and strangulation warrants investigation of glucose as a potential marker for specific lesion types. For practitioners managing equine colic cases, elevated or persistently rising glucose concentrations should trigger heightened vigilance regarding prognosis and may help refine clinical decision-making, particularly regarding the urgency of surgical intervention and intensive care requirements.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Blood glucose testing at admission and during the first 48 hours is a useful prognostic indicator for horses with acute abdominal disease—elevated glucose correlates with poorer survival outcomes
- •Hypoglycemia is rare in acute abdominal disease but when present warrants suspicion of strangulating intestinal lesions, which carry grave prognosis
- •Monitor blood glucose concentrations serially during hospitalization as a non-invasive indicator of disease severity and prognostic indicator alongside clinical assessment
Key Findings
- •50.2% of horses with acute abdominal disease presented with hyperglycemia (>131.4 mg/dL) at admission, while only 0.4% had hypoglycemia
- •Horses that did not survive to discharge had significantly higher mean blood glucose concentrations at admission and at 24, 36, and 48 hours post-admission
- •Hypoglycemia occurred in only 2.3% of horses during the first 48 hours of hospitalization, and all cases were associated with strangulating intestinal lesions
- •Hyperglycemia in the first 48 hours of hospitalization is associated with worse prognosis for survival to hospital discharge