Blood Gases, Acid-Base Status And Plasma Lactate Concentrations In Calves With Respiratory Diseases

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate in calves the effects of respiratory diseases of various severities on blood gases, acid-base balance and plasma lactate concentration. We included in the study 128 calves with clinical signs of various severities and outcomes of respiratory disorders. The age of the calves ranged from 1 to 12 months. According to the clinical fi ndings, course of the disease and time of blood collection, the sick calves were divided into three groups: RD 1 (n=34) -calves with moderate clinical signs; RD 2 (n=73) -calves with severe respiratory symptoms and RD 3 (n=21) -calves with severe respiratory symptoms and died within 48 hours after blood sampling. Into the study we also included one group of 28 clinically healthy calves. In the arterial blood we evaluated: blood pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide -pCO 2 , partial pressure of oxygen -pO 2 , concentration of actual bicarbonate -HCO 3 -, base excess -BE, and saturation of hemoglobin by oxygen -O 2 -sat. The concentration of lactate was determined in the blood plasma. Signifi cant effects of health status and severity of respiratory diseases were recorded in all the evaluated variables. Marked hypoxemia and hypercapnia were found in calves with severe respiratory disorders and in animals that died within 48 hours after blood collection. In most calves, the acid-base changes were characterized as compensated respiratory acidosis. The highest mean lactate values were recorded in calves that died within 48 hours after blood sampling. The presented results suggest the usefulness of the analysis of blood gases and acid-base status in the evaluation and prognosis of various degrees and severity of respiratory diseases in calves, and in monitoring the patient response to treatment. Although plasma lactate analysis is less consistent with the severity of respiratory diseases, it might be helpful in the indication of an untreatable stage of the disease and upcoming death.

Blood gases, acid‐base, and metabolic alterations in calves with bronchopneumonia diagnosed via clinical signs and thoracic ultrasonography: A cross‐sectional study

“…12 It is difficult to compare our results with those of other studies because the latter were performed using experimental inoculation 8,10 or calves with chronic BP often affected by lifethreatening conditions. 33,34 The discrepancy between our results and those of other previously published studies could be attributed to the disparity in the nature and distribution of lung lesions induced by the experimental inoculation of the pathogens and the chronic conditions of the disease. For example, the inoculation of the respiratory syncytial virus caused lesions in approximately 24% of the lung mass, which severely affected gas exchanges during the acute phase of the postinfection disease.…”

On-farm diagnosis of latent respiratory failure in calves

“…About half of the calves with severe respiratory syndrome had indicators of partial pressure of oxygen and saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen common to venous blood. Meanwhile, an increase in pCO 2 values was reported only in calves with severe clinical symptoms [30]. Calves with severe clinical symptoms of BRD were not included in our study.…”

“…Our study found a significant decrease in pO 2 and an increase in pCO 2 values by 15.7% and 34.1% (P < 0.05), respectively, in venous blood in calves with respiratory failure (group I) compared to healthy animals (group II). Šoltésová et al [30] described the highly correlated severity of respiratory diseases and the values of oxygen partial pressure and hemoglobin oxygen saturation. Changes that were noted in calves with the disease were compared with the clinical picture, reducing the values even in mild cases.…”

“…For their part, obstructive respiratory disorders can cause an uneven distribution of ventilation and inconsistency between the ventilation and perfusion system with hypoxemia, hypoxic vasoconstriction, and pulmonary vascular hypertension, and in more severe cases of hypercapnia [42]. According to Šoltésová et al [30], most calves with higher pCO 2 values were identified to have compensated respiratory acidosis due to respiratory diseases. Lower blood pH values in calves suffering from bronchopneumonia in contrast to healthy ones were also reported by Vestweber et al [32].…”

Assessment of a portable lactate meter for field use in the white rhinoceros (<i>Ceratotherium simum</i>)

“…Lactate measurement in horses is predictive of mortality in sick neonates (Borchers et al 2012 ; Corley, Donaldson & Furr 2005 ; Henderson et al 2008 ) and adult emergencies (Delesalle et al 2007 ; Furr, Lessard & White 1995 ; Johnston, Holcombe & Hauptman 2007 ; Schulman, Nurton & Guthrie 2012 ; Tennent-Brown et al 2010 ). In bovine medicine, lactate can be useful as a prognostic indicator in cattle with respiratory disease (Coghe et al 2000 ; Helena et al 2015 ) and abomasal disorders (Buczinski, Boulay & Francoz 2015 ; Figueiredo et al 2008 ). In dogs, lactate measurement has prognostic value in systemically ill animals (Lagutchik et al 1998 ; Stevenson et al 2007b ), dogs with hypotension (Ateca, Dombrowski & Silverstein 2015 ), septic peritonitis (Cortellini, Seth & Kellett-Gregory 2014 ) and babesiosis (Nel et al 2004 ).…”