Evaluation of a continuous glucose monitoring system in neonatal foals.
Authors: Wong David, Malik Caitlin, Dembek Katarzyna, Estell Krista, Marchitello Megan, Wilson Katie
Journal: Journal of veterinary internal medicine
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Neonatal Foals Critically ill foals, particularly those with sepsis or requiring assisted nutrition, demand frequent blood glucose assessment, yet traditional point-of-care glucometry necessitates repeated venipuncture that stresses both patient and nursing staff whilst risking site complications. Wong and colleagues evaluated whether continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMS)—already established in human and equine adult medicine—could provide a reliable, less invasive alternative for neonatal foals, a population where minimising handling and vascular trauma carries particular clinical weight. The team validated a CGMS device against standard glucometry measurements in critically ill foals, examining accuracy, reliability, and practical feasibility in an intensive care setting. Their findings demonstrated that CGMS technology could significantly reduce the frequency of blood sampling whilst providing comparable glucose trend data to conventional POC testing, allowing clinicians to make feeding and metabolic management decisions with greater confidence and reduced patient stress. For practitioners managing neonatal sepsis, dysmaturity or parenteral nutrition, adopting validated CGMS could streamline monitoring protocols, decrease iatrogenic complications from repeated needle sticks, and free nursing resources for other critical interventions—though adoption will depend on device cost, familiarity among equine practitioners, and integration with existing intensive care workflows.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Consider CGMS as an alternative monitoring method for critically ill neonatal foals to reduce stress from repeated blood sampling and venipuncture complications
- •CGMS may improve animal welfare by minimizing restraint and venipuncture site complications in foals receiving parenteral nutrition or naso-esophageal feedings
- •Implementation of CGMS could reduce labor demands on veterinary nursing staff while maintaining glucose concentration monitoring accuracy
Key Findings
- •Continuous glucose monitoring systems provide an alternative to repeated point-of-care glucometer measurements in neonatal foals
- •CGMS may reduce the need for repeated blood collections and associated venipuncture site irritation
- •CGMS could decrease nursing staff demands for frequent glucose monitoring in critically ill foals