Neonatal intensive care: what it involves and is it worth it?

摘要

Intensive care for neonatal foals requires several inescapable ingredients: 1) the philosophical commitment of the entire practice to provide ICU services; 2) trained technicians to provide round-the-clock nursing care and patient monitoring; 3) climate controlled environment equipped with 'foal-friendly' fluid and oxygen delivery systems; 4) laboratory services capable of providing same day haematology and biochemistry results; 5) continuing education for mare/foal owners. Common conditions afflicting newborn foals include neonatal encephalopathy, septicaemia, dysmaturity, limb deformities, enteritis and colic. Sick newborn foals are like slowly burning fuses. Regardless of what disorder ignites the process, once a neonate stops nursing the downhill spiral escalates due to metabolic instability, multi-organ system failure and disruption of normal post partum adaptive processes. Successful outcomes depend on rapid diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases while managing secondary hypothermia, hypoglycaemia, hypoxia, hypotension, septicaemia, seizures and complications associated with recumbency.