The effects of different oxygen application methods on arterial and venous blood gases in respiratory system diseased calves

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of oxygen applications by mask and intranasal catheter in addition to routine respiratory system treatment on clinical and hematological findings as well as arterial and venous blood gases in calves with respiratory system disease that require oxygen therapy according to blood gases analyses. The material of this study consisted of 18 calves with different ages (1 day – 3 months), breeds and genders which were brought to the clinics of Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine. Subsequent to clinical examinations, calves with respiratory system disease that require oxygen therapy according to blood gases analyses were included to the study. Calves were equally grouped into 3 different groups with equal number (n:6). 1st group, 2nd group and 3rd group were assigned as control, mask and intranasal catether groups, respectively. 1st group received routine respiratory system disease treatment, 2nd group received routine respiratory system disease treatment as well as oxygen therapy by mask, 3rd group received routine respiratory system disease treatment as well as oxygen therapy by intranasal catheter. During the study, clinical examinations of calves in whole groups were performed and clinical findings were recorded. Besides arteriol and venous blood samples were obtained in 0th, 3rd, 5th and 24th hours of the study for blood gas analyses. For hematological analyses, venous blood samples were obtained in 0th and 24th hours. According to clinical examinations; dyspnea, breathing with open mouth, nasal discharge, decrease in suckling reflex, depression, increase in body temperature, cyanotic mucous membranes and cough were observed in animals. In the 2nd group and 3rd group of animals that received oxygen, clinical symptoms were alleviated and returned to normal in parallel with oxygen administration. Significant statistical differences were detected in monocyte% values of 1st group, monocyte counts of 2nd group, eosinophil% and eosinophil counts as well as RBC counts of 3rd group. In calves with dyspnea, statistical differences were observed in venous and arterial pH, pCO2, pO2, lactate, sO2 and respiratory rate. Generally, in 1st group which received routine treatment, these parameters did not have apparent change, however, particularly pCO2 levels became normal eventually in 2rd and 3rd group that received oxygen therapy in addition to routine treatment. Additionally, in 2rd and 3rd groups, while lactate concentrations decreased, sO2 and pO2 concentrations had increased. Recovery in clinical and laboratry findings were apparent in calves that received oxygen therapy. It is also observed that while administering oxygen, intranasal catether application was more efficient than applying with mask on blood gases. As a result, it is concluded that applying oxygen therapy in addition to routine respiratory disease therapy on calves with respiratory disease was efficient on arterial and venous blood gases and this application is useful in clinical recovery.