Evaluation of Blood Culture Results and Survival in Compromised Neonatal Foals in the Czech Republic

Introduction
The aim of this study was to evaluate the blood culture results, sepsis score and addi- tional clinical and clinico-pathological data and survival rate of neonatal foals admitted to the intensive care unit in the Brno Equine clinic. the presented study is the first one in the Czech republic that is dealing with the results of blood culture together with sur- vival of septic newborn foals.

Material and Methods
Neonatal foals (n=41) that were hospitalised at the Equine Clinic in Brno during the past two years were examined. Clinical and clinico-pathological data were recorded and sepsis scores were calculated.

Results
The blood culture was positive in 14 out of 41 foals, 13 different bacterial species were cultured. out of 14 foals, in five gram-positive bacteria and in seven gram-negative bacteria were cultured. two foals had a mixed bacterial population. antibiotics were administered in 26 foals at the day of admission and during their hospitalization. Seventeen foals received penicilline in combination with an aminoglycoside, four foals received potentiated sulfonamides, four foals received 4th generation cephalosporins alone or in combination with metronidazole and one foal received a cocktail of penicil- lin, metronidazole and marbofloxacine. in 14 foals with a positive blood culture result an antibiogram was made. in 27 out of 41 foals, a sepsis score ≥ 11 was established. Sepsis was diagnosed in 28 out of 41 foals. Seventeen out of 19 septic foals (89.47 %) died or were euthanized and two out of 22 non-septic foals (9.09 %) were euthanized. Survival rate is significantly higher in the group of non-septic foals when compared to the group of foals with sepsis (p<0.033).

Conclusion
By performance of blood culture we confirmed the increasing trend of gram-positive infection in compromised newborn foals. Even within the Equine Clinic, the most common cause of death in newborn foals was sepsis. percentage of non-surviving septic foals is unfortunately high. Sadly, these foals are quite often admitted to the clinic in a state of advanced sepsis or even septic shock.

The results of this study have significant implications for antibiotic policy for in-patient care and recommendations for equine field practice in the Czech republic.