Research Note: Comparison of chicken blood chemistry and electrolyte parameters between the portable i-STAT1 clinical analyzer and VetScan VS2 serum biochemistry panel using Hy-Line commercial white-egg laying hens.

The i-STAT1 clinical analyzer has become an increasingly popular tool in clinical production animal medicine as it can provide pen-side results in a cost effective and timely manner when compared to standard benchtop serum biochemistry blood gas and chemistry analyses. This study compares the results of the portable Abbott i-STAT1 analyzer and the Abaxis VetScan VS2 for glucose (Glu, mg/dL), ionized Ca (mmol/L), Na (mmol/L), and K (mmol/L) values. Three genetically distinct commercial varieties (CV) of Hy-Line white-egg laying hens are used in this study (Hy-Line W-36, Hy-Line W-80, and Hy-Line W-80+). Thirty blood samples (n = 10 per CV) were obtained in the production house from the brachial vein and concurrently analyzed by the i-STAT1 portable device. Serum from 22 of these same samples was analyzed via VetScan VS2, a benchtop serum clinical biochemistry analyzer, using VetScan Avian/Reptilian Profile Plus reagent rotors. A paired T-test was used to test for statistical differences in means between the 2 instruments for each of the parameters. Parameters with significant mean differences were then subject to correlation and regression analysis to further evaluate relationships between the results from the 2 methods. Significant differences between means were found for Glu, Na, and K levels. Ca levels were found to be not directly comparable by the 2 analysis instruments. This comparison elucidates the importance of clinical analyzer validations when applying different strategies of diagnostic medicine in poultry.

Establishment of Hy-Line commercial laying hen whole blood gas and biochemistry reference intervals utilizing portable i-STAT1 clinical analyzer.

Blood gas and biochemistry reference intervals were established for 3 genetically distinct commercial varieties (CVs) of Hy-Line laying hens: 2 brown-egg layers (Hy-Line Brown, Hy-Line Silver Brown) and a tint-egg layer (Hy-Line Sonia) utilizing the i-STAT1 analyzer. Each respective variety of laying hen was sampled on a replicate cycle of 2 wk for a total of 6 replicates (35 to 46 wk of age). Blood samples were obtained in the production house from the brachial vein, and subsequently analyzed by the i-STAT1 portable device. i-STAT1 clinical analyzer reports blood gas and biochemistry values for the following parameters: pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pvCO2, mm Hg), partial pressure of oxygen (pvO2, mm Hg), bicarbonate (HCO3, mmol/L), base excess (BE, mmol/L), saturation of oxygen on hemoglobin (sO2%), glucose (Glu, mg/dL), sodium (Na, mmol/L), potassium (K, mmol/L), total concentration of carbon dioxide (TCO2, mmol/L), ionized calcium (iCa, mmol/L), hematocrit (Hct % packed cell volume [PCV]), hemoglobin (Hb, g/dL). A total of 1,800 individual hen i-STAT1 records were utilized in the establishment of reference interval values for the 13 parameters between the 3 CVs. Statistical analysis via ANOVA and Tukey's test revealed significant line differences for all 13 blood gas and chemistry parameters measured, with particularly interesting results in iCa. The blood gas and chemistry parameters collected in this study will serve as reference intervals to set the framework for potential future correlations to genetic markers, physiological abnormalities, and production performance.