Spurious hypercreatininemia: 28 neonatal foals (2000-2008).

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Neonatal Care
• Equine Health

Background:

• Elevated serum creatinine in neonatal foals can indicate acute renal failure or spurious hypercreatininemia.
• Differentiating between these conditions is crucial for appropriate treatment and prognosis in young foals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence and resolution of spurious hypercreatininemia in hospitalized foals less than 2 days old.
• To determine if spurious hypercreatininemia affects foal survival.
• To identify associated clinical signs in affected foals.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case series was conducted using data from 33 foals under 2 days old admitted to two referral hospitals.
• Foals included had an admission creatinine greater than 442 micromol/L (>5.0 mg/dL).
• Data on serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), clinical signs, and survival were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Twenty-eight of 33 foals (85%) presented with spurious hypercreatininemia; 5 had acute renal failure.
• Admission creatinine levels were similar between groups, but BUN was significantly higher in foals with acute renal failure.
• In foals with spurious hypercreatininemia, creatinine levels decreased by over 50% within 24 hours and normalized within 72 hours.
• Twenty-three of 28 foals with spurious hypercreatininemia survived hospitalization.
• Twenty of 28 foals with spurious hypercreatininemia showed signs suggestive of neonatal encephalopathy.

Conclusions:

• Spurious hypercreatininemia is a common finding in hospitalized neonatal foals and typically resolves rapidly with standard neonatal care.
• The presence of spurious hypercreatininemia does not appear to negatively impact survival rates in foals.
• Neonatal encephalopathy was frequently diagnosed in foals with spurious hypercreatininemia, suggesting a potential association.