Prognostic Significance of Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate for Survival in Equine Colic
Authors: F. Meistro, R. Rinnovati, E. Blanc, P. Berni, S. Napoli, E. Marcucci, Paola D'Angelo, Marco Ruggeri, A. Spadari, R. Gialletti
Journal: Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), an established inflammatory marker in human medicine now available through automated equine analysers, was evaluated as a prognostic indicator in hospitalised colic cases, with the hypothesis that non-survivors might present with atypical inflammatory profiles reflective of severe systemic decompensation. The research team measured ESR at admission across a colic population and at 24 hours post-admission in surgical cases, comparing outcomes between horses that survived and those that did not. Notably, non-surviving horses demonstrated significantly depressed ESR values at presentation—a counterintuitive finding suggesting that severely compromised horses may lose the capacity to mount a normal inflammatory response rather than displaying the elevated acute phase markers traditionally associated with grave prognosis. The practical value lies in ESR's accessibility: it requires minimal sample preparation, generates rapid results, and carries negligible cost relative to other prognostic biomarkers, positioning it as a potentially valuable adjunctive tool for risk stratification at the critical admission window when clinical decisions are most time-sensitive. For practitioners making early prognostication in acute colic, a low ESR alongside other clinical indicators warrants heightened concern for systemic compromise and may support more aggressive intervention thresholds or informed owner communication about deterioration risk.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Request ESR testing at admission for colic cases as part of rapid prognostic assessment—low values may indicate higher risk of deterioration or death
- •Use ESR alongside other biomarkers to strengthen early clinical decision-making about treatment intensity and referral urgency
- •For surgical colics, repeat ESR at 24 hours post-op to monitor systemic inflammation trajectory and recovery prognosis
Key Findings
- •Horses that did not survive colic showed markedly lower erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) values at hospital admission compared to survivors
- •Low ESR at presentation may indicate severe systemic compromise in colic cases
- •ESR measured at 24 hours post-surgery provided additional prognostic information in surgical cases
- •ESR is rapid, inexpensive, and easy to perform making it suitable for early prognostic assessment