Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Handheld ketone meter helps diagnose diabetic ketoacidosis in cats
By Zeugswetter, F K & Rebuzzi, L·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2012·Clinical Department for Small Animals and Horses·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Point-of-care β-hydroxybutyrate measurement for the diagnosis of feline diabetic ketoacidaemia.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of diabetic cats was tested using a hand-held ketone meter to measure a substance called beta-hydroxybutyrate, which helps diagnose a serious condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis. The meter was found to be reliable, especially when the beta-hydroxybutyrate levels were above 2.55 mmol/L, indicating a high likelihood of ketoacidosis. This tool can help veterinarians quickly rule out ketoacidosis in diabetic cats, allowing them to consider other potential health issues if the levels are lower. Overall, the ketone meter proved to be a useful device for managing diabetic cats.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate accuracy and precision of a hand-held ketone meter measuring β-hydroxybutyrate and to determine its diagnostic performance to rule out ketoacidaemia in diabetic cats. METHODS: The ketone meter was validated by calculating within-day precision at different β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations and by comparison with a laboratory method. To determine its diagnostic performance to diagnose ketoacidaemia, 217 sets of data (venous blood gas analysis and β-hydroxybutyrate measurements) were retrospectively analysed. Sensitivities and specificities were calculated with the help of receiver-operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: The ketone meter reliably detected β-hydroxybutyrate at concentrations >0·1 mmol/L and reproducibility was acceptable. Measurements highly correlated with laboratory results (r=0·97; P<0·001), but a significant negative bias was found at high concentrations. A β-hydroxybutyrate concentration of >2·55 mmol/L had a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 68% for diagnosing ketoacidaemia. Many cats with high β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations and normal blood pH had an elevated chloride gap suggestive of superimposed hypochloraemic metabolic alkalosis. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The commercially available point-of-care ketone meter Precision Xtra is a valid tool to measure β-hydroxybutyrate in diabetic cats. Concentration <2·55 mmol/L enable ketoacidaemia to be excluded and should lead to redirection of differential diagnoses.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22533366/