Clinicopathologic evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation in horses with acute colitis

To detect subclinical disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in horses with colitis and to determine any association between the diagnosis of subclinical DIC and outcome or occurrence of complications in horses with colitis.

Prospective study.

37 horses admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital for treatment of acute colitis.

Coagulation profiles were obtained on each horse 0, 24, and 48 hours after admission. Six tests were performed: platelet count, plasma fibrinogen concentration, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, antithrombin activity, and serum fibrin degradation products concentration.

A clinicopathologic diagnosis of subclinical DIC was made if 3 of the 6 tests had abnormal results at any 1 sample period. No horse had clinical signs of DIC at the time of sampling. Twelve of 37 (32%) horses met the criteria for diagnosis of subclinical DIC within a 1-year period. Outcome was defined as survival or nonsurvival. Five of 12 horses with subclinical DIC and 2 of 25 horses without subclinical DIC did not survive. Crude odds ratio analysis revealed a horse with acute colitis was 8 times as likely to die or be euthanatized if a diagnosis of subclinical DIC was made.

Clinicopathologic evidence of DIC is common and is significantly associated with a poor outcome in horses with acute colitis. Treatment of subclinical DIC may influence outcome in horses with acute colitis.