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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Does proper antibiotic treatment help dogs with septic peritonitis?

By Dickinson, Amy E et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2015·Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Impact of appropriate empirical antimicrobial therapy on outcome of dogs with septic peritonitis.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A group of 86 dogs with severe abdominal infections, known as septic peritonitis, were treated at a veterinary hospital. Despite receiving various antimicrobial treatments, only about 57% of the dogs survived to leave the hospital. The study found that the choice of antibiotics given at the start of treatment did not significantly affect survival rates, even though many dogs had received antibiotics in the month before their admission. This suggests that the effectiveness of initial antibiotic therapy may not be as straightforward as previously thought.

People also search for: dog abdominal infection treatment · septic peritonitis in dogs · dog survival rates after surgery

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether appropriate empirical antimicrobial therapy influenced survival in dogs with septic peritonitis. DESIGN: Retrospective case series (2003-2011). SETTING: University teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Eighty-six dogs with cytological confirmation or positive bacterial culture of abdominal sepsis and subsequent surgical intervention. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: Forty-nine of 86 dogs (57%) survived to hospital discharge. Thirty-seven of 86 dogs were classified as having ''abdominal infection,'' 31/86 as ''severe sepsis,'' and the remaining 18/86 as in ''septic shock.'' Mortality was greatest in the ''septic shock'' category (94%). Empirical antimicrobial treatments were appropriate in 41/78 dogs (52.6%). Appropriateness was not associated with treatment outcome overall or when compared between sepsis severity groups. Antimicrobials had been given in the 30 days before admission in 63/86 (73.3%) dogs. Prior therapy with antimicrobials showed no association with outcome (P = 0.512) but was associated with subsequent inappropriate empirical antimicrobial selection (P = 0.031). Recent abdominal surgery was associated with subsequent inappropriate empirical antimicrobial selection (P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: In this population, appropriateness of empirical antimicrobial choice was not associated with survival to discharge. Previous antimicrobial administration or abdominal surgery was associated with subsequent inappropriate empirical antimicrobial selection.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25545023/