Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Multidrug-resistant wound infections in dogs cause higher death rates
By Allegretti, Delaina et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2025·College of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Multidrug-resistant wound infections are associated with greater mortality, larger costs, and longer hospitalizations than susceptible infections in canine patients.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 80 dogs with wounds or surgical site infections were studied to see how common multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections were and what impact they had. Out of these, 19 dogs had MDR infections, which led to longer hospital stays, higher costs, and increased risk of death. Factors like recent use of steroids or certain antibiotics were linked to a higher chance of developing these resistant infections. The findings highlight the importance of careful antibiotic use and monitoring to prevent MDR infections in dogs.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and economic impact of multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections in dogs at a tertiary referral hospital. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study including dogs with positive aerobic culture associated with a traumatic wound or surgical site infection between July 2018 and November 2023. Data collected from medical records included signalment, wound type, culture results, medications (antibiotics, NSAIDs, steroids, immunosuppressives), wound care, hospitalization duration, concurrent illnesses, surgical variables, and cost. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with MDR development. RESULTS: 80 dogs met the inclusion criteria, and 19 had MDR infections. Multidrug resistance increased the odds of longer hospitalization duration by 2.98 times (95% CI, 1.09 to 8.19), mortality rates by 11.8 times (95% CI, 1.24 to 112.08), and total costs by 3.57 times (95% CI, 1.3 to 9.83). Steroid use within the past year, NSAID or steroid use within 1 week before culture, and initial preculture use of either penicillin or clindamycin in the past 3 months increased the risk of MDR development by 4.51 to 7.4 times (95% CI, 1.71 to 32.09). CONCLUSIONS: Multidrug-resistant infections were associated with greater mortality, larger costs, and longer hospitalizations. Risk factors for MDR infections included steroid use within the past year, NSAID or steroid use within 1 week before culture, and either penicillin or clindamycin within 3 months before culture. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Multidrug-resistant pathogens have clinical and economic impacts on veterinary healthcare, and there is a need to implement standardized surveillance and prevention programs in veterinary hospitals.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39919381/