Plasma endotoxin in @entity1641 presented to an XXXX referral hospital: correlation to selected clinical parameters and outcomes.

@entity558 @entity1641
REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Endotoxaemia is frequently presumed on the basis of clinical signs in @entity1641 with colic. OBJECTIVE: Measurements of plasma endotoxin ( @entity558 ) are rarely made in clinical cases and there is little information on the correlations between this variable, clinical variables and outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To measure @entity558 levels in plasma of @entity1641 presented to the Philip Leverhulme @entity1641 Hospital on admission and daily for up to 4 days and to relate @entity558 levels to selected clinical parameters, such as heart rate and packed cell volume, and outcomes. METHODS: Blood samples were collected and stored at -20  C prior to assay of the plasma using a validated kinetic chromogenic Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) assay. Clinical parameters and outcome variables were collected from hospital records. Associations were determined by Chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Daily blood samples were collected from 234 @entity1641 . @entity558 was detected in 26.5% of the study population and in 29% of those @entity1641 presented for colic. @entity1641 providing samples with detectable @entity558 were more likely to die whilst in the hospital than those that did not (P = 0.045). @entity1641 presenting with colic were more likely to have detectable @entity558 in their plasma than noncolic cases (P = 0.037), although @entity558 was detected in the plasma of 8 out of 42 noncolic @entity1641 . A @entity1641 that did not meet the study definition of clinical endotoxaemia was 10 times less likely to provide a positive @entity558 sample (OR 0.10, 95% CI: 0.05-0.22). CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of @entity1641 providing samples with detectable @entity558 was similar to other studies. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: @entity558 was detected in the minority of @entity1641 presented with colic. Increased levels of @entity558 positively correlated with packed cell volume and with risk of mortality in colic cases.
