Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Factors linked to short-term death in cats with FIP
By Goto, Sho et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2025·Morita Animal Hospital, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Predictive factors associated with short-term mortality in cats with feline infectious peritonitis treated with remdesivir or GS-441524 or both.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 108 cats diagnosed with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) were treated with either remdesivir or GS-441524, or both. While most cats responded well to treatment, about 12% died within 84 days. Researchers found that higher levels of a substance called plasma lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were linked to a greater risk of death, while lower levels of albumin and other factors were also noted in those that didn’t survive. Monitoring LDH levels could help veterinarians predict which cats might be at higher risk and adjust their care accordingly.
People also search for: cat FIP treatment · feline infectious peritonitis prognosis · high LDH levels in cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although most cats with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) respond to treatment with remdesivir or GS-441524 or both with uneventful clinical courses, some die despite treatment. OBJECTIVE: Identify predictive factors associated with short-term mortality in cats with FIP treated with IV remdesivir or PO GS-441524 or both. ANIMALS: A total of 108 client-owned cats with FIP. METHODS: Retrospective multicenter study using data collected from medical records. Factors associated with short-term mortality, defined as death within 84 days, were identified. Univariate analysis a t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or Fisher's exact test and multivariate logistic regression were performed to assess patient characteristics and clinicopathological variables between survivors and nonsurvivors. RESULTS: The short-term mortality rate was 12.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.6%-19.7%). Univariate analysis identified plasma lactate dehydrogenase activity (LDH; P < .001) and bilirubin concentration (P = .001) as being significantly increased in nonsurvivors, whereas concentrations of albumin (P = .003), total protein (P = .03), sodium (P = .005), and potassium (P = .005) were significantly lower. Additionally, nonsurvivors were significantly less likely to be febrile (≥39.4°C; P = .006). Of these variables, only plasma LDH activity ≥323 U/L, a cut-point determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, was significantly associated with short-term mortality by multivariate analysis (odds ratio, 15.30; 95% CI, 1.18-198.00; P = .04). CONCLUSION: Increased plasma LDH activity might be useful for predicting short-term mortality, guiding monitoring, and establishing prognosis in cats with FIP.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39600237/