Peritoneal fluid values from healthy foals

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Abstract
Peritoneal fluid was analysed from 17 foals, aged 13 to 134 days with a mean age of 68 days. Cytologically, the peritoneal fluid was characterised by a mean total cell count of 0.45 .times. 109/litre (range 0.06 to 1/42 .times. 109/litre), rare eosinophils, rare cytophagia and variable percentages of neutrophils and mononuclear cells. These data indicate that peritoneal fluid nucleated cell counts over 1.50 .times. 109/litre in the foal should be interpreted as elevated. Biochemical evaluation revealed a mean biuret protein level of 12 g/litre, mean refractive index protein level of 16 g/litre and urea nitrogen concentration of 1.96 mmol/litre. There was no correlation between the foals'' white blood cell and peritoneal fluid nucleated cell counts. Results of this study indicate that adult horse reference values for evaluation of peritoneal fluid are of questionable validity for foals. Disgnostically, the most important observation was that maximum peritoneal fluid nucleated cell counts in healthy foals were much lower than reported maximal reference values for adult horses (1.5 .times. 109/litre versus 5.0 .times. 109/litre or 10.0 .times. 109/litre).

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