What to expect when dogs are admitted after trauma injuries

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine hospital admission variables for dogs with trauma including values determined with scoring systems (animal trauma triage [ATT], modified Glasgow coma scale [MGCS], and acute patient physiologic and laboratory evaluation [APPLE] scores) and the usefulness of such variables for the prediction of outcome (death vs survival to hospital discharge). DESIGN: Prospective, multicenter, cohort study. ANIMALS: 315 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES: By use of a Web-based data capture system, trained personnel prospectively recorded admission ATT, MGCS, and APPLE scores; clinical and laboratory data; and outcome (death vs survival to discharge) for dogs with trauma at 4 veterinary teaching hospitals during an 8-week period. RESULTS: Cause of injury was most commonly blunt trauma (173/315 [54.9%]) followed by penetrating trauma (107/315 [34.0%]), or was unknown (35/315 [11.1%]). Of the 315 dogs, 285 (90.5%) survived to hospital discharge. When 16 dogs euthanized because of cost were excluded, dogs with blunt trauma were more likely to survive, compared with dogs with penetrating trauma (OR, 8.5). The ATT (OR, 2.0) and MGCS (OR, 0.47) scores and blood lactate concentration (OR, 1.5) at the time of hospital admission were predictive of outcome. Surgical procedures were performed for 157 (49.8%) dogs; surgery was associated with survival to discharge (OR, 7.1). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated ATT and MGCS scores were useful for prediction of outcome for dogs evaluated because of trauma. Penetrating trauma, low blood lactate concentration, and performance of surgical procedures were predictive of survival to hospital discharge. The methods enabled collection of data for a large number of dogs in a short time.