D-dimer improves the prognostic value of combined clinical and laboratory data in equine gastrointestinal colic.

The discriminating ability of 15 parameters alone or in combinations, including results from analysis of plasma endotoxin, the Nycomed plasma D-Dimer test and phospholipase A2, were analyzed to predict morbidity and mortality in equine gastrointestinal colic. Endotoxaemia was a characteristic feature of the colic horses. The problem of adequately predicting nonsurvivors among colic horses required several parameters to be included in the logistic model: if the "classical parameters", (heart rate, respiratory rate, PCV, anion gap) were included in the model, addition of plasma D-dimer, phospholipase A2, and Cl- significantly improved the predictive value of the logistic model.

Study of variables commonly used in examination of equine colic cases to assess prognostic value.

In a retrospective study, the prognostic value and individual merit of seven variables, used in routine examination of colic cases, were tested. The following variables proved to be significant in discriminating between horses which survived and those which died: heart rate (P less than 0.00005), packed cell volume (P less than 0.

Acute postoperative diarrhoea in colic horses.

A retrospective study on surgical cases of colic in horses (n = 216) revealed that 42 (19.4%) developed post-surgical diarrhoea. Salmonella spp.