Plasma Adrenocorticotropin, Cortisol, and Adrenocorticotropin/ Cortisol Ratios in Septic and Normal-Term Foals

Abstract

Septic foals had higher hormone concentrations as compared to normal foals, which is an expected endocrine response to critical illness. The increased ACTH/cortisol ratio in nonsurviving septic foals in comparison to surviving septic foals could indicate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction at the level of the adrenal gland in critically ill septic foals.