Ultrasonic measurement of arterial blood pressure in conditioned thoroughbreds

Changes in metabolic and physiological biomarkers in Mangalarga Marchador horses with induced obesity

This study aimed to characterize and correlate physiological and metabolic changes in horses fed a hypercaloric diet (HD). Nine mature horses with a mean initial body condition score of 2.9 ± 1 (scale, 1-9) were fed a high-calorie diet for 5 months. Fasting blood samples were collected before the study and biweekly for the duration of the project to determine the concentrations of cholesterol (CHOL), very low (VLDL), low (LDL) and high-density (HDL) lipoproteins, triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids, and fructosamine. A low-dose oral glucose tolerance test (LGTT) was conducted before, 75 and 150 days after HD introduction. Mean arterial blood pressure was measured monthly. Following HD introduction, CHOL, LDL, HDL, and fructosamine blood concentrations increased (P < 0.001). These four variables were also positively and significantly correlated with the blood insulin response to LGTT. These findings confirm the occurrence of hypercholesterolemia concomitantly with insulin dysregulation development in horses exposed to HD.

Indirect Blood Pressure Measurement in Horses: Is There an Influence of Age, Sex, Breed, Bodyweight, and Cardiac Diseases on Pressure Values?

Only few data regarding normal resting blood pressure in horses and the influence of cardiac diseases on arterial blood pressure are available in literature. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the possible influence of age, sex, breed, bodyweight, and cardiac diseases and their severity on blood pressure values measured in horses with cardiac disease and in a control group. For this case-control study, indirect blood pressure measurement was performed in 60 horses with different types of cardiac disease and in 23 healthy horses (control group), by means of an ultrasonic blood-flow technique. According to the echocardiographic findings, horses with cardiac abnormalities have been divided into two groups (with and without cardiac dimensional modifications). Multivariable linear regression analysis evaluated the influence of age, breed, sex, and cardiac diseases and their severity (regressors) on blood pressure. The results showed a significant influence of age on diastolic pressure in healthy horses. Furthermore, a significant influence of the presence of cardiac dilation in horses with cardiac disease on systolic and diastolic pressures was found. Single-regressor linear analysis showed that horses with cardiac dilation are significantly older than both horses without cardiac dimensional changes and those of control group. Further studies are necessary to better investigate the possible influence of the type of cardiac disease on blood pressure.

Cardiac Monitoring in Horses

Monitoring variables of cardiac performance in horses is challenging owing to patient size, temperament, and anatomic peculiarities. Blood pressure is a major determinant of afterload, but it is not a reliable surrogate of cardiac performance and tissue perfusion. Cardiac output, together with arterial and venous oxygen content, provides insight as to the adequacy of delivery of blood and oxygen to the body as a whole and can be used to gauge the fluid responsiveness and cardiovascular status of the patient. Measurement of intracardiac pressures serves to assess cardiac filling pressures, myocardial performance, and vascular resistance.

Efeito de diferentes soluções de enema sobre os parâmetros clínicos de eqüinos

Avaliou-se o efeito de diferentes soluções de enema sobre os parâmetros clínicos de eqüinos hígidos. Foram utilizados 15 eqüinos adultos, distribuídos em três grupos de cinco animais cada: grupo 1 - tratados com água de torneira mais sabão neutro; grupo 2 - tratados com solução isotônica e grupo 3 - tratados com água de torneira mais vaselina. O efeito das soluções de enema sobre os parâmetros clínicos variou em função do tipo de solução infundida. A solução com menor efeito sobre os parâmetros clínicos foi a isotônica. A solução de água de torneira e sabão neutro desencadeou um aumento da temperatura retal e edema da mucosa retal. Embora as três soluções tenham se mostrado efetivas em hidratar e amolecer as fezes, a solução de água com sabão foi a que apresentou o melhor efeito.

Monitoring the critically ill equine patient

Measurements of physiologic parameters, such as blood pressure or lactate concentration, are useful to detect occult derangements, such as tissue hypoxia and dysoxia. These tools are also useful in determining the effects of therapy. Monitoring techniques are now widely available for the intensive management of critically ill horses and foals. A number of these have evolved into noninvasive or minimally invasive devices and procedures and provide information that can be used for earlier and more dynamic therapeutic intervention. The goal of increased monitoring is to improve the level of care in the ICU; L ultimately. increased survival of critical patients is the motivation behind enhanced monitoring of physiology, with particular attention being paid to trends or alterations over time. This review highlights practical and informative monitoring tools and techniques and provides normal reference values from the literature.

Cardiovascular, haematological and biochemical responses after large volume blood collection in horses

To determine whether removal of 20 mL/kg of blood (approximately 25% of blood volume) resulted in adverse physiological effects in donor horses, we removed this volume of blood from five horses and selected cardiovascular, haematological and biochemical variables measured during collection and for 31 days thereafter. We found that alteration in most variables occurred, although the changes in values usually remained within published reference ranges. Also, recovery of these alterations to pre-collection values was rapid, occurring within 24--48 h in most instances. We concluded that volumes of blood less than or equal to 20 mL/kg when collected appropriately from healthy donor horses result in no adverse acute or chronic physiological changes. These results suggest that horses undergo adequate physiological compensation when approximately 25% of blood volume is removed for the purposes of blood donation or production of plasma.

Study of arterial blood pressure in newborn foals using an electronic sphygmomanometer

An electronic sphygmomanometer which functions on oscillometric principles, was used to measure arterial blood pressure in foals. Its accuracy was assessed by comparison with results obtained by direct measurement in anaesthetised pony foals, aged 34 to 64 days. Correlations between data obtained by the two methods were highly significant but the sphygmomanometric readings were consistently lower than those obtained by direct measurement. An equation was derived from the pooled values for mean, systolic and diastolic pressure measurements. This was used as a correction factor when the oscillometric method was employed in the field on Thoroughbred foals, during the first three days post partum, and on pony foals during the first day only. There were no significant differences between systolic, diastolic and mean values in Thoroughbreds on Days 1, 2 or 3 after birth. Measurements recorded on the first day after foaling were significantly lower (P less than 0.025) in ponies than in Thoroughbreds. Blood pressure measurements in Thoroughbreds and ponies were substantially higher than those reported previously using the ultrasonic Doppler technique.

Cardiovascular adaptations to exercise and training

The cardiovascular system provides the link between pulmonary ventilation and oxygen usage at the cellular level. During exercise, efficient delivery of oxygen to working skeletal and cardiac muscles is vital for maintenance of ATP production by aerobic mechanisms. The equine cardiovascular response to increased demand for oxygen delivery during exercise contributes largely to the over 35-fold increases in oxygen uptake that occur during submaximal exercise. Cardiac output during exercise increases greatly owing to the relatively high heart rates that are achieved during exercise. Heart rate increases proportionately with workload until heart rates close to maximal are attained. It is remarkable that exercise heart rates six to seven times resting values are not associated with a fall in stroke volume, which is maintained by splenic contraction, increased venous return, and increased myocardial contractibility. Despite the great changes in cardiac output, increases in blood pressure during exercise are maintained within relatively smaller limits, as both pulmonary and systemic vascular resistance to blood flow is reduced. Redistribution of blood flow to the working muscles during exercise also contributes greatly to the efficient delivery of oxygen to sites of greatest need. Higher work rates and oxygen uptake at submaximal heart rates after training imply an adaptation due to training that enables more efficient oxygen delivery to working muscle. Such an adaptation could be in either blood flow or arteriovenous oxygen content difference. Cardiac output during submaximal exercise does not increase after training, but studies using high-speed treadmills and measurement of cardiac output at maximal heart rates may reveal improvements in maximal oxygen uptake due to increased stroke volumes, as occurs in humans. Improvements in hemoglobin concentrations in blood during exercise after training are recognized, but at maximal exercise, hypoxemia may reduce arterial oxygen content. More effective redistribution of cardiac output to muscles by increased capillarization and more efficient oxygen diffusion to cells may also be an important means of increasing oxygen uptake after training.

Importance of uniform cuff application for equine blood pressure measurement

Seventeen horses were used to determine the variances associated with blood pressure cuff application (Sp2) and with other inherent errors (So2). Systolic pressure values had Sp2 = 3.9 mmHg and So2 = 5.6 mmHg, while diastolic pressure values had Sp2 = 1.1 mmHg and So2 = 4.4 mmHg. Thus, to be considered different, two blood pressure means (in mmHg), each derived from three readings, had to differ by at least 3.9 for systolic pressure and 3.4 for diastolic pressure when all readings were made without cuff displacement; 6.8 for systolic pressure and 4.6 for diastolic pressure when the cuff was reapplied between, but not during, measurement of each mean; and 5.0 for systolic pressure and 3.8 for diastolic pressure when the cuff was reapplied between all readings. It was concluded that uniform cuff application is readily achieved.

Blood pressure, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram measurements in the growing pony foal

Twelve newborn pony foals underwent cardiovascular examinations (auscultation, arterial blood pressure measurements, electrocardiograms and M-mode echocardiograms) on their first day of life and then on Days 7, 14, 21, 30, 60 and 90. An age dependent, statistically significant, rapid increase of the arterial blood pressure in the first month was documented together with a slower decrease of the resting heart rate after two and three months of life. Innocent soft systolic murmurs were audible over the left heart base in a large number of the foals. The electrocardiograms showed age dependent increases of the PR-, QRS- and QT- intervals and a trend of the mean electrical axis in the frontal plane to rotate towards the left side. The ventricular dimensions, measured by M-mode echocardiography, increased with the growth of the pony foals. Linear regression equations were calculated for the right and left ventricular internal dimensions in relation to body weight (bwt). The other echocardiographic parameter had low correlations with bwt.

Survey of resting blood pressure values in clinically normal horses

Resting coccygeal blood pressure values were measured, indirectly, on 296 horses (97 Thoroughbreds, 97 Standardbreds and 102 hacks). Blood pressure was found to vary with the class of horse examined; on average Thoroughbreds had significantly higher values than Standardbreds and hacks, whereas blood pressures of the last two groups were not significantly different. There was no demonstrable effect of sex, height or heart rate on blood pressure, but temperature and age did influence the value recorded. Mean (+/- sd) (n = 296) coccygeal uncorrected values (systolic pressure/diastolic pressure) were 112.1 +/- 16.5/77.3 +/- 14.3 mmHg. Allowing for bladder width to tail girth ratios used in each measurement, actual coccygeal pressures of 122.8 +/- 18.6/71.0 +/- 13.4 mmHg were determined. The latter corresponded to values of 149.4 +/- 19.0/97.6 +/- 14.0 mmHg, when corrected to heart (shoulder) level. Normal limits (defined as within 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles) for all horses, regardless of class, were 80 to 144 mmHg/49 to 105 mmHg for coccygeal uncorrected values and 86 to 159 mmHg/45 to 97 mmHg adjusted for bladder width to tail girth ratio.

The value of arterial blood pressure measurement in assessing the prognosis in equine colic

Indirect arterial blood pressure was determined on 33 horses prior to surgical intervention for the diagnosis and/or correction of acute abdominal disorders and a relationship between low systolic blood pressure and non-survival was established. It is suggested that blood pressure determination should be used to augment other methods of clinical and laboratory examination in cases of equine colic.