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Objective To assess the accuracy and reliability of a point-of-care (POC) triglyceride analyzer and to establish reference intervals for blood ([TRIG]POC/WB) and plasma triglyceride concentrations ([TRIG]POC/PL) in horses, ponies, and donkeys. Design Prospective study. Setting University teaching hospital. Animals 120 adult healthy equids (78 horses and ponies, 42 donkeys) and 79 equids suffering from hypertriglyceridemia (73 horses and ponies, 6 donkeys). Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results [TRIG]POC/WB and [TRIG]POC/PL were measured using a POC analyzer and plasma triglyceride concentrations were measured using a standard laboratory assay ([TRIG]LAB/PL). Reference intervals were determined. Test accuracy was assessed by Bland-Altman comparison of POC measurements with standard laboratory measurements and by evaluating linearity of dilutional series. Test reliability was assessed by repeated serial measurements. [TRIG]POC/WB and [TRIG]POC/PL were below the analytic range of the POC assay (<0.8 mmol/L [<70 mg/dL]) in healthy horses and ponies, whereas the reference intervals were 0.82-3.14 mmol/L (73-278 mg/dL) and 0.87-3.02 mmol/L (77-267 mg/dL), respectively, in donkeys. The POC analyzer systematically overestimated triglyceride concentrations when compared to a standard laboratory assay. The difference between [TRIG]POC/WB and [TRIG]POC/PL was small and clinically negligible. The coefficient of variation of repeated measures performed on the POC analyzer was below 10% for [TRIG]POC/WB and [TRIG]POC/PL, both in horses and donkeys and at all concentration ranges. Conclusions The POC analyzer allows accurate and reliable measurement of [TRIG]POC/WB and [TRIG]POC/PL in horses, ponies, and donkeys in clinical settings. Assay-specific reference intervals should be determined for diagnosis and clinical monitoring of hypertriglyceridemia in equids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To assess the measurement reliability of rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) measurements in horses, establish reference intervals for healthy horses, and evaluate the relationship between ROTEM variables, hematologic variables, and standard coagulation tests. Design Prospective observational study. Setting University teaching hospital. Animals Fifty healthy and 10 diseased adult horses. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Blood was sampled from 10 healthy and 10 diseased horses and samples were repeatedly analyzed to evaluate measurement reliability of various ROTEM variables. Four different ROTEM assays (ie, EXTEM, INTEM, FIBTEM, and APTEM) were run simultaneously under standardized conditions. The device-related, operator-related, and day-to-day variability for the majority of ROTEM variables was very low to low, as indicated by a coefficient of variation (CV) of < 15%. Most of test-retest variability of ROTEM variables appeared to be device-related. Blood samples from 50 clinically healthy horses were used to establish reference intervals for ROTEM variables. Multiple stepwise regression analyses identified associations of different ROTEM variables with hematocrit, total protein concentration, fibrinogen concentration, platelet count, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and thrombin time. Conclusions ROTEM is a feasible method to evaluate coagulation in horses. Its measurement reliability is acceptable, but device-related measurement variability has to be considered. Reference intervals are presented, but the influence of hematocrit, platelet count, and fibrinogen concentration may need to be taken into account when interpreting individual test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the applicability and accuracy of a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) in critically ill foals by comparing the performance of the CGMS, a point-of-care (POC) glucometer, and an in-house standard laboratory assay (SLA). Design Prospective study. Setting University teaching hospital. Animals Seven critically ill neonatal foals requiring intensive care. Interventions Foals were instrumented with a CGMS that measured interstitial glucose concentration every 5 minutes for the duration of 15-79 hours. Capillary and venous blood samples were taken every 4-6 hours for POC and SLA measurements, respectively. Measurements and Main Results Bland-Altman analysis showed a mean bias (95% limits of agreement) of -0.1 (-3.9 to 3.5) mmol/L for comparison of CGMS versus SLA, 0.06 (-3.9 to 4.0) mmol/L for comparison of CGMS versus POC glucometer, and -0.16 (-1.8 to 1.5) mmol/L for comparison of POC glucometer versus SLA. Percent agreement and weighted kappa for classification in hypoglycemia, normoglycemia, and hyperglycemia were 68.4% and 0.296 for CGMS versus SLA, 72.4% and 0.442 for CGMS versus POC glucometer, and 80.7% and 0.568 for POC glucometer versus SLA. Conclusions The CGMS may be helpful for monitoring a trend in interstitial glucose concentration in critically ill neonatal foals. However, considering the wide limits of agreement between methods, the CGMS should only be used as an adjunctive device to other, more accurate and readily available methods that are able to detect acute changes in glucose concentration. Its use is further limited by the relatively high costs of the sensors, the mandatory 2-hour initialization period, and the difficulties of keeping the transducer in place in an active foal. The POC glucometer used in this study is easy to use and proved to be sufficiently accurate for repeated, stall-sided glucose monitoring in neonatal foals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]