Antithrombin III activity in horses with colic: an analysis of 46 cases

• Published in: Equine veterinary journal Vol. 23; no. 3; p. 211
• Main Authors: Darien, B J, Potempa, J, Moore, J N, Travis, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-05-1991
• Subjects: Animals; Antithrombin III - analysis; Colic - blood; Colic - surgery; Colic - therapy; Colic - veterinary; Horse Diseases - blood; Horse Diseases - surgery; Horse Diseases - therapy; Horses; Prognosis
• ISSN: 0425-1644
• DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1991.tb02758.x

Antithrombin-III (AT-III) activity was measured at the time of admission in 46 horses referred with colic. Differences in AT-III activities between animals treated medically or surgically and survivors or non-survivors were compared. The mean AT-III values for the horses treated medically (76.2 per cent), surgical survivors (69.5 per cent) and surgical non-survivors (55.9 per cent) were significantly different from the reference value for healthy adults (92 to 108 per cent). The mean AT-III activity of the survivors was significantly (P less than 0.01) greater than that of the nonsurvivors. The majority of the survivors (11 to 13 horses) had AT-III activities exceeding 60 per cent of normal, whereas that of 10 of the 14 non-survivors was less than 60 per cent of normal. There was an apparent distinction between the survivors and non-survivors at approximately 60 per cent of normal AT-III activity.