Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Infective endocarditis in dogs - survival and risk factors
By Reagan, Krystle L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2022·Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Outcome and prognostic factors in infective endocarditis in dogs: 113 cases (2005-2020).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 113 dogs diagnosed with infective endocarditis (a heart infection) was studied to understand their outcomes and what factors affected their survival. The results showed that dogs who developed congestive heart failure, had blood clots, or experienced kidney injury were more likely to not survive. However, those treated with antithrombotic medications (which help prevent blood clots) had better chances of living longer. Overall, about 70% of the dogs survived to leave the hospital, and those treated with antithrombotics had a significantly longer survival time.
People also search for: dog heart infection treatment · infective endocarditis in dogs · antithrombotic medications for dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Factors associated with outcome in dogs diagnosed with infective endocarditis (IE) are not well characterized. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate outcome and prognostic factors in dogs with IE. ANIMALS: One hundred and thirteen dogs with IE. METHODS: Medical records for dogs that fulfilled the modified Duke criteria between 2005 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Signalment, preexisting conditions, clinicopathologic findings, treatment regimen, and outcomes were recorded. Univariate logistic regression was performed to identify categorical factors associated with mortality, and then multivariate analysis was performed. RESULTS: Dogs were categorized as survivors (n = 47), non-survivors (n = 57), or lost to follow-up (n = 9). Survival to discharge and at 1 month was documented in 79 (70%) of 113 and 56 (54%) of 104 dogs, respectively, with median survival time (MST) of 72 days. Risk factors associated with mortality included development of congestive heart failure (odds ratio [OR], 11.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-97.8), thromboembolic events (OR, 5.7; 95% CI, 2.3-14.4), and acute kidney injury (OR, 6.2; 95% CI, 2.0-18.8). Administration of antithrombotic medications was associated with survival (OR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.13-0.97). Dogs that were not treated with antithrombotics had MST of 92 days, whereas dogs treated with antithrombotics did not reach MST during the study period. The heart valves involved and etiologic agent identified did not correlate with outcome. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Dogs with IE that had thromboembolic events, acute kidney injury, or congestive heart failure had higher risk of mortality. Administration of antithrombotics was associated with prolonged survival time.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35261088/