Equine clinical pathology

Question 1

what is accuracy?

Answer 1

how close the result is to the actual value

Question 2

what is precision?

Answer 2

how repeatable the test is

Question 3

what is sensitivity?

Answer 3

number of disease positive animals that test positive

Question 4

what is specificity?

Answer 4

number of disease negative animals that test negative

Question 5

what is positive predictive value?

Answer 5

number of positive results that are actually positive

Question 6

what is negative predictive value?

Answer 6

number of negative results that are actually negative

Question 7

what will increase in blood in cases of strangulating colic?

Answer 7

PCV (water loss into bowel)

lactate (anaerobic metabolism)

Question 8

what will increase in peritoneal fluid in cases of strangulating colic?

Answer 8

RBCs
protein
lactate

Question 9

what is the rough percentage of body weight that blood makes up?

Answer 9

10%

Question 10

what is the difference when collecting serum and plasma?

Answer 10

serum - allowed to clot

plasma - mix with anticoagulant

Question 11

what are the two main types of serum proteins?

Answer 11

albumin

globulin

Question 12

what is the most common cause of hyperproteinaemia?

Answer 12

dehydration

Question 13

what is a common clinical sign of hypoproteinaemia?

Answer 13

pitting ventral oedema

Question 14

what protein is the major determinant of colloid osmotic pressure?

Answer 14

albumin

Question 15

what enzymes are released by damaged muscles?

Answer 15

AST and CK

Question 16

what enzymes increase when the liver is damaged?

Answer 16

GGT, GLDH, AST, ALP, LDH

Question 17

what increases in blood when there is liver failure?

Answer 17

bile acids, bilirubin, ammonia

Question 18

what are the three pathology-physiological mechanisms for development of anaemia?

Answer 18

blood loss
haemolysis
decreased production

Question 19

what is a massive reservoir for RBCs in horses?

Answer 19

spleen (massive increase during exercise/stress)

Question 20

roughly how much blood can a horse lose before presenting with clinical signs?

Answer 20

30% (roughly a large bucket)

Question 21

what is the normal PCV of a thoroughbred?

Answer 21

35-45%

Question 22

what are some compensatory mechanisms for anaemia in horses?

Answer 22

splenic contraction
vasoconstriction/increased CO (catecholamines)
increased water reabsorption (volume expansion)

Question 23

what ways can you use to determine if anaemia is regenerative or not in horses?

Answer 23

serial PCV

bone marrow evaluation (very invasive)

Question 24

what is seen on the blood test if there is intravascular haemolysis?

Answer 24

pink serum (haemoglobin)
(also get haemoglobinuria)