Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
New scoring system predicts death risk in dogs with infection
By Horridge, Mallory V et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2024·School of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Development of a novel scoring system to predict mortality in canine patients with infection.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A new scoring system has been created to help veterinarians predict the risk of death in dogs with infections. This system takes into account factors like the dog's mental state, heart rate, and certain blood gas levels. By using this score, vets can identify which dogs are at higher risk and may need more intensive care. While the scoring system shows promise, further testing is needed to confirm its effectiveness in a larger group of dogs.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To develop a novel illness severity scoring system to identify canine patients with infection that are at higher risk of mortality. KEY FINDINGS: Mentation (Modified Glasgow Coma Scale and the Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation mentation score), heart rate, pH, Pco, potassium, and total plasma protein were found to be associated with mortality on univariate analysis. Logistic regression found that mentation, heart rate, and Pcocombined to form the following score: [(100 × mentation score) + (3 × heart rate) + (10 × Pco], which was predictive of mortality (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.88). A cutoff of 900 provided a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 80%. If the cutoff was changed to 800, the sensitivity was 100% and the specificity was 50%. SIGNIFICANCE: A novel scoring system was developed to predict mortality in hospitalized dogs with confirmed or suspected infection. Further prospective evaluation in a larger patient cohort is necessary to validate this score.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39023309/