Comparison of viability scoring and blood gas analysis as measures of piglet viability

Abstract

Viability score based on heart rate, colour, muscle tone, respiration, and attempts to stand was correlated with pH (r = 0.82, P = 0.0001), pCO 2 (r = − 0.85, P = 0.0001), and pO 2 (r = 0.27, P = 0.0001) in 1217 neonatal piglets, indicating that viability score is an excellent measure of the extent of asphyxia suffered by piglets during parturition. Key words: Viability, blood gas, neonatal pig