Evaluation of a point‐of‐care blood glucose monitor in healthy goats

Objective

To assess agreement between a point‐of‐care glucometer (POCG) and a laboratory chemistry analyzer for blood glucose measurements in goats.

Design

Prospective study.

Setting

University teaching hospital.

Animals

Eighteen healthy adult goats.

Investigations

Whole blood samples were obtained via jugular venipuncture prior to premedication with xylazine and butorphanol (T0), following premedication (T20), and after 1 hour of inhalant anesthesia (T60). Each sample was tested with a POCG and a laboratory analyzer (HITA). Agreement was assessed using concordance correlation coefficients and calculation of bias and 95% limits of agreement.

Measurements and Main Results

Mean blood glucose concentration at T0 was 3.9 ± 0.6 mmol/L (70 ± 10 mg/dL; POCG) and 2.9 ± 0.4 mmol/dL (53 ± 8 mg/dL; HITA). Glucose concentrations at T20 were 6.7 ± 2.4 mmol/L (121 ± 43 mg/dL) and 5.4 ± 2.1 mmol/L (97 ± 37 mg/dL) and at T60 were 5.7 ± 1.7 mmol/L (102 ± 31 mg/dL) and 4.7 ± 1.3 mmol/L (85 ± 24 mg/dL) when measured with the POCG and HITA, respectively. The POCG overestimated blood glucose compared to the HITA. The bias ± SD was 1.08 ± 0.53 mmol/L (19.4 ± 9.5 mg/dL) (95% LOA 0.04 to 2.11 mmol/L [0.7 to 38.0 mg/dL]) and the concordance correlation coefficient was 0.82. After correcting the results of the POCG using a mixed‐effects linear model, the bias was 0.0 ± 0.38 mmol/L (0.0 ± 6.8 mg/dL) (95% LOA ± 0.74 mmol/L [± 13.4 mg/dL]) and the concordance correlation coefficient was 0.98.

Conclusions

The POCG overestimated blood glucose concentrations in goats, compared to the HITA, but when the POCG concentrations were corrected, the agreement was excellent.     

Serum concentrations of monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 in healthy and critically ill dogs

Background: The chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) is a primary regulator of monocyte mobilization from bone marrow, and increased concentrations of MCP‐1 have been associated with sepsis and other inflammatory disorders in critically ill people. The relationship between MCP‐1 and disease in dogs has not been evaluated previously. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess serum concentrations of MCP‐1 in healthy dogs, dogs in the postoperative period, and critically ill dogs. We hypothesized that MCP‐1 concentrations would be significantly increased in critically ill dogs compared with postoperative or healthy dogs. Methods: Serum concentrations of MCP‐1 were measured in 26 healthy control dogs, 35 postoperative dogs, and 26 critically ill dogs. Critically ill dogs were further subgrouped into dogs with sepsis, parvovirus gastroenteritis, immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia, and severe trauma (n=26). MCP‐1 concentrations were determined using a commercial canine MCP‐1 ELISA. Associations between MCP‐1 concentrations and disease status were evaluated statistically. Results: MCP‐1 concentration was significantly higher in critically ill dogs (median 578 pg/mL, range 144.7–1723 pg/mL) compared with healthy dogs (median 144 pg/mL, range 4.2–266.8 pg/mL) and postoperative dogs (median 160 pg/mL, range 12.6–560.4 pg/mL) (P<.001). All subgroups of critically ill dogs had increased MCP‐1 concentrations with the highest concentrations occurring in dogs with sepsis. However, differences among the 4 subgroups were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Critically ill dogs had markedly increased serum concentrations of MCP‐1 compared with postoperative and healthy dogs. These results indicate that surgery alone is not sufficient to increase MCP‐1 concentrations; thus, measurement of MCP‐1 may be useful in assessing disease severity in critically ill dogs.