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Blood values of juvenile northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) obtained using a portable clinical analyzer.

BACKGROUND
Sick, injured, or orphaned juvenile northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustisrostris) treated at rehabilitation centers frequently present with abnormalities in blood sodium, potassium, chloride, BUN, and glucose concentrations, and HCT. These abnormalities could be detected rapidly using a portable blood analyzer, but results with this analysis method do not necessarily equate with those obtained using other techniques.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to better assess the clinical relevance of values obtained from a portable analyzer and to compare the results with values obtained using more common methods of analysis.


METHODS
Heparinized whole blood samples were collected from 20 rehabilitated juvenile northern elephant seals. A portable clinical analyzer (i-STAT, i-STAT Corp, East Windsor, NJ, USA) was used to establish baseline values. Serum biochemical values were obtained using an automated chemical analyzer (Olympus AU5200, Olympus America, Melville, NY, USA). HCT was determined using EDTA whole blood and a cell counter.


RESULTS
Using the portable analyzer, mean (minimum-maximum) values were obtained for sodium, 143 (132-146) mmol/L; potassium, 4.4 (3.9-5.8) mmol/L; chloride, 106 (101-109) mmol/L; BUN, 1.8 (1.1-2.4) mmol/L; glucose, 7.55 (5.99-8.49) mmol/L; and HCT, 0.55 (0.52-0.61) L/L. Average differences between methods were small for potassium (-0.45 mmol/L), BUN (0.1 mmol/L), and HCT (0.037 L/L) but were large for sodium (-6.8 mmol/L), chloride (-6.4 mmol/L), and glucose (-0.56 mmol/L).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the i-STAT portable analyzer could be useful for clinically assessing juvenile elephant seals. However, when making medical decisions, the clinician should be aware of differences associated with various analyzers and sample types.