Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How bile tests compare for detecting bile infections in dogs and cats
By Pashmakova, Medora B et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2017·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Agreement between microscopic examination and bacterial culture of bile samples for detection of bactibilia in dogs and cats with hepatobiliary disease.
Plain-English summary
A group of 31 dogs and 21 cats with liver and bile duct issues had bile samples tested to check for bacterial infections. The tests included looking at the samples under a microscope and growing bacteria in a lab. The results showed that 33% of the pets had bacteria found in their bile through the microscope, while 21% had bacteria identified through culture. The two testing methods agreed well, especially when the pets hadn’t received antibiotics shortly before the tests. This suggests that using both tests together can give a clearer picture of bacterial infections in pets with liver problems.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the agreement between results of microscopic examination and bacterial culture of bile samples from dogs and cats with hepatobiliary disease for detection of bactibilia. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. ANIMALS 31 dogs and 21 cats with hepatobiliary disease for which subsequent microscopic examination and bacterial culture of bile samples was performed from 2004 through 2014. PROCEDURES Electronic medical records of included dogs and cats were reviewed to extract data regarding diagnosis, antimicrobials administered, and results of microscopic examination and bacterial culture of bile samples. Agreement between these 2 diagnostic tests was assessed by calculation of the Cohen κ value. RESULTS 17 (33%) dogs and cats had bactibilia identified by microscopic examination of bile samples, and 11 (21%) had bactibilia identified via bacterial culture. Agreement between these 2 tests was substantial (percentage agreement [positive and negative results], 85%; κ = 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.38 to 0.89) and improved to almost perfect when calculated for only animals that received no antimicrobials within 24 hours prior to sample collection (percentage agreement, 94%; κ = 0.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.61 to 1.00). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that agreement between microscopic examination and bacterial culture of bile samples for detection of bactibilia is optimized when dogs and cats are not receiving antimicrobials at the time of sample collection. Concurrent bacterial culture and microscopic examination of bile samples are recommended for all cats and dogs evaluated for hepatobiliary disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28414601/