Clinical Pathology: Equine Clinical Pathology and Anaemia Flashcards
What must be considered about clinicopathological tests available in horses?
Accuracy, Precision
Sensitivity and Specificity
What is sensitivity and specificity?
Sensitivity- % of disease positive animals that correctly identified as positive
Specificity- % of disease negative animals that correctly identified as negative
What is PPV and NPV?
PPV- % of positive results that are actually positive
NPV- % of negative results that are actually negative
What can be used for diagnosis of laminitis risk in ponies?
Adiponectin concentration- hormone from fat
What is haematology, histology, cytology, urinalysis, coprology and serology?
Haematology- morphology of the blood and blood forming tissues
Histology- microscopic structure composition and function of tissues
Cytology- cells their origin, structure, function and pathology
Urinalysis- urine test
Coprology- shit
Serology- study of serum
What is the difference between serum and plasma?
Serum is allowing a clot and then taking centrifuged fluid- plasma with coagulation proteins removed
Plasma is mixing with anticoagulant then centrifuging
How does breed affect PCV, red blood cell count and haemaglobin?
Hot blooded horse has a higher PCV, RBCC, and haemoglobin
What blood proteins are there?
How is it measured?
What can affect the results?
Blood proteins- albumin, globulin, fibrinogen
Measured as total protein on refractometer
Icterus, lipaemia, haemolysis affect results
What does albumin do?
Controls colloid oncotic pressure
Binds cations and hormones
Binds to drugs
What different proteins show on serum protein electrophoresis?
Albumin
Y globulins- immunoglobulins
A- globulins- acute phase protein, a-lipoproteins, antithrombin III
B-globulins- complement, transferrin, plasminogen
What is hyperproteinaemia and what is a common cause?
Increases total protein- albumin, globulin or both
Dehydration
What is hyperglobulinaemia and what is the most common causes?
Increased globulins
Most common causes are chronic inflammation or tumour of B lymphocytes
What is panhypoproteinaemia?
Aggressive intravenous therapy causing severe protein loss
What can cause hypoalbuminaemia?
Albumin is a small molecule therefore
More loss across intestinal mucosa/glomerulus
Loss of effusion
Decreased production
What does hypoproteinaemia often cause in horses?
Pitting ventral oedema
What can cause oedema?
Increased hydrostatic pressure
Decreased oncotic pressure
Increased permeability
Impaired lymphatic drainage
What is a myopathy?
A disease of the muscle
What are the clinical signs of liver disease in horses?
Varied and non-specific
Weight loss
Colic
Anorexia
Photosensitisation
Neurological signs
Diarrhoea
Jaundice
What enzymes would be released from damage to the liver?
GGT
GLDH
AST
ALP
LDH
What is anaemia?
What three mechanisms can produce anaemia?
Anaemia is a reduction in circulating red blood cell volume or haemaglobin concentration
Blood loss
Increased RBC destruction
Decreased RBC production
Why should horses PCV not be assessed after or during excercise?
The spleen in horses is a reservoir for erythrocytes- PCV can increase by 0.25L/L
Also a platelet reservoir- 1/3 of platelets