Retrospective evaluation of blood culture isolates and sepsis survival rate in foals in the Czech Republic: 50 cases (2011-2013).

Abstract

To identify the specific pathogens causing sepsis in hospitalized foals in the Czech Republic and identify important factors associated with their survival. A retrospective study from 2011 to 2013. University veterinary teaching hospital. Fifty compromised foals. None. Blood was aseptically collected for bacterial culture from compromised foals. The foals were classified as septic according to a positive blood culture result or sepsis score ≥11. Blood cultures were positive in 44% of the foals. In these positive cultures, 27.3% had only Gram-positive (G+) bacteria and 54.5% had only Gram-negative (G-) bacteria. A mixed bacterial population was presented in 18.2% of the positive cultures. Thirty-six foals were classified as septic on the basis of positive blood culture or a sepsis score ≥11. In the group of foals that did not survive, there were significantly more foals with low levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) than foals with normal levels of IgG (P < 0.0001). We also found a significant difference in the proportion of foals with low levels of IgG and positive blood cultures when compared to negative blood cultures. Twenty-six of the 50 foals were discharged from the hospital. Survival was significantly lower in foals with a diagnosis of sepsis than in foals without sepsis. There was no statistically significant difference between foals that died as a result of infection caused by G- or G+ pathogens. There was no difference in the proportion of survivors that did or did not receive antimicrobials prior to admission. In our study, we confirmed the increasing trend for G+ bacteria in blood cultures but G- still predominate. The percentage of nonsurviving septic foals was high.