Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate to monitor dogs in ICU and predict
By Gori, Eleonora et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2026·Veterinary Teaching Hospital "Mario Modenato", Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate as a Monitoring Marker in the Canine Intensive Care Unit.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 124 dogs in the intensive care unit (ICU) had their erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) tested to see if it could predict their chances of survival. The results showed that dogs who did not survive had a much higher ESR at admission compared to those who did survive. Additionally, the ESR levels changed differently over time: survivors had a decrease in ESR, while nonsurvivors had an increase. The study suggests that monitoring ESR can help veterinarians assess the health of critically ill dogs and potentially identify those with sepsis, a serious infection.
People also search for: dog ICU care · high ESR in dogs · dog sepsis symptoms · dog survival rates in ICU · what does ESR mean in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To (1) establish whether the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) at admission is related to mortality in dogs hospitalized in the ICU; (2) observe and evaluate the ESR trend during 48-72 h of hospitalization and determine how it relates to mortality; and (3) test whether ESR is a marker of sepsis. DESIGN: Prospective study using residual K3-EDTA blood samples of hospitalized dogs. SETTING: ICU of a university teaching hospital. ANIMALS: A total of 124 hospitalized dogs were included in the study. Sixty of the 124 dogs were used to test whether ESR is a marker of sepsis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The ESR was measured on residual EDTA blood samples collected from hospitalized dogs as part of clinical evaluation. A total of 32 dogs died during hospitalization, while 92 were discharged. The ESR at admission (T0) was significantly higher in nonsurvivors (28 mm/h) compared with survivors (11 mm/h) (p = 0.03). Forty-one dogs had ESR monitored at T1 (24 h postadmission) and T2 (48-72 h postadmission). An increase in the ESR from T0 to T2 was seen in nonsurvivors (p < 0.01; medians: T0, 22 mm/h, T1, 37 mm/h, T2, 42 mm/h). Survivors showed a decrease in the ESR from T0 to T2 (p < 0.01; medians: T0, 12 mm/h, T1, 14 mm/h, T2, 5 mm/h). Twenty-eight dogs were diagnosed with sepsis and had a higher ESR than nonseptic dogs (35 vs. 10 mm/h; p < 0.0001). A cutoff of 22 mm/h may differentiate septic dogs from nonseptic dogs, with a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 81% (area under the curve = 0.8; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The ESR at admission can predict the mortality of hospitalized dogs. Its monitoring during hospitalization may add prognostic information. Given the challenges involved in screening septic patients, point-of-care testing may easily evaluate the ESR when used alongside other indicators.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41615763/