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Updated: Jun 17, 2026
A Neonatal Imaging Model of Gram-Negative Bacterial Sepsis
Published on: August 12, 2020
Uveal inflammation in septic newborn foals
1Servei d'Oftalmologia Veterinària, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Background:
Septicemia in humans is described as a leading cause of uveitis, which eventually can induce blindness.
Hypothesis/Objectives:
Uveal inflammatory findings could be related to sepsis severity in newborn foals and might be used as an indirect indicator for survival.
Animals:
Seventy-four septic foals, 54 nonseptic foals, and 42 healthy foals.
Methods:
Prospective observational clinical study. A detailed blinded, ophthalmic examination was performed by boarded ophthalmologists on all admitted newborn foals. Foals were grouped as septic (when blood culture resulted positive or the sepsis score was > or =14), nonseptic, and controls. Based on blood culture results, the septic group was subdivided into bacteremic and nonbacteremic foals.
Results:
Blood culture was performed in 62/74 septic foals, from which 35 (56%) were bacteremic and 27 (44%) were non-bacteremic. Anterior uveitis was diagnosed in a significantly (P < .005) higher number of septic/bacteremic foals (14/35, 40%) than in septic/nonbacteremic foals (5/27, 19%), nonseptic foals (4/54, 7%), and control foals (0%). Anterior chamber fibrin was only observed in 4/14 (29%) septic/bacteremic foals with anterior uveitis. Anterior uveitis was also associated with posterior uveitis in 6/35 (19%) septic/bacteremic foals. The diagnosis of uveitis was related to nonsurvival (P = .001, odds ratio = 6.2, 95% confidence interval = 2.1-18.2).
Conclusions And Clinical Importance:
Anterior uveitis is highly prevalent in septic newborn foals, especially in those with a positive blood culture, and it should be considered as a survival prognostic factor.
