Syra-bas och laktat hos kolikhästar

Ten colic horses and seven healthy horses were included in a prospective study aiming to evaluate acid-base disturbances in colic horses. Traditional acid-base methods and measurements of lactate were used to study prognosis and changes before, during and after surgery. Strong ion gap, anion gap and base excess were compared to evaluate their ability to predict lactate. \n \nOf the ten colic horses that went through surgery, seven survived, two were euthanised and one died. Significant differences in plasma lactate levels were seen between the group of survivals and non-survivals, p=0,000025. No differences were seen in pH and base excess between the two groups. These results suggest that lactate is a better indicator than pH and base excess to predict survival in colic horses. The rise in lactate during anaesthesia was likely the effects of sedatives, anaesthetics and hypovolemia. A drop in pH was seen during the first part of the anaesthesia, probably as a result from failure of the respiratory mechanisms to compensate. \n \nStrong ion gap was a better method than base excess and anion gap to predict lactate and thereby prognosis in colic horses. Strong ion gap, anion gap and base excess compared to lactate gave r2 = 0,83, r2 = 0,77 and r2 = 0,68 respectively.