Clinical, hematologic, hemostatic, and serum biochemical findings related to survival in Arabian horses with colic.

Background: The efficacy of clinical examinations, and hematologic, hemostatic, and serum biochemical assessments to determine appropriate early medical or surgical therapy in Arabian horses with colic have not been well-described.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate clinical and hematologic findings, coagulation-fibrinolytic parameters, and organ dysfunction markers in association with survival in horses with colic.

Methods: Seventeen Arabian horses with colic and ten healthy horses were enrolled. After clinical examinations, including heart rates (HRs), capillary refill times (CRTs), abdominal sounds, rectal palpations, and nasogastric (NG) reflux assessments in both healthy and diseased horses, blood samples were collected and hematologic parameters, coagulation indices such as the prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), plasma d-dimer (PDD), platelet count, fibrinogen, and hepatorenal biomarkers were measured. Based on the outcomes, horses with colic were divided into survival (10) and nonsurvival (7) groups, and all mentioned parameters were compared with the control group horses.

Results: Unlike HRs, CRTs, and abdominal sounds, rectal palpations (57.1%) and NG reflux (28.6%) findings were least sensitive in being able to determine survival. At least three of the five coagulation indices were significantly abnormal (prolonged PT, increased PDD, and decreased plasma fibrinogen) in 71.4% of the horses in the nonsurvival group compared with the control and survival groups. Significantly increased urea, creatinine, and bilirubin levels, and AST activities were also observed in the survival group compared with the control and nonsurvival groups.

Conclusions: The combination of prolonged PT, increased PDD, and hypofibrinogenemia could be a reliable predictor of survival in horses with colic. The significant renal and hepatic dysfunctions in nonsurviving horses with colic appeared to be consistent with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and a grave prognosis.