Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pre-surgery chest X-rays in 101 dogs with stomach twisting
By Green, Jaime L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2012·Department of Clinical Studies, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Preoperative thoracic radiographic findings in dogs presenting for gastric dilatation-volvulus (2000-2010): 101 cases.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 101 dogs diagnosed with gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), a serious condition where the stomach twists, had pre-surgery chest X-rays taken to check for any significant issues. Common findings included a dilated esophagus and a small vena cava, while some dogs showed signs of aspiration pneumonia. Overall, 84% of the dogs survived after surgery, and those without heart enlargement on their X-rays had a much better chance of recovery. This highlights the importance of chest X-rays in assessing the health of dogs with GDV before surgery.
People also search for: dog GDV survival rate · dog chest X-ray findings · gastric dilatation volvulus treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify the incidence of clinically significant findings on preoperative thoracic radiographs in dogs with gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) and to determine if those findings are associated with survival. DESIGN: Retrospective study from 2000 to 2010. SETTING: Urban university small animal teaching hospital. ANIMALS: One hundred and one dogs diagnosed with GDV that had thoracic radiographs obtained preoperatively, and medical records available with the following information available: signalment, time of presentation, respiratory status, plasma lactate, presence of cardiac arrhythmias, reason for thoracic radiographs, radiographic findings, and outcome. INTERVENTIONS: None. RESULTS: Findings on preoperative thoracic radiographs included small vena cava (40%), esophageal dilation (39%), microcardia (34%), aspiration pneumonia (14%), cardiomegaly (5%), pulmonary nodule (4%), pulmonary edema (2%), sternal lymphadenopathy (1%), and pulmonary bullae (1%). Eighty-four percent of dogs (85 out of 101) survived to discharge. Dogs without cardiomegaly on presenting thoracic radiographs had a 10.2 greater odds of surviving to discharge. CONCLUSIONS: The most common findings on preoperative thoracic radiographs include esophageal dilation, microcardia, and a small vena cava while the incidence of pulmonary nodules was low. A negative association between survival and presence of cardiomegaly on preoperative thoracic radiographs in dogs with GDV supports the need to obtain these images for prognostic information in spite of the emergency surgical nature of the GDV. The main limitations of this study include the possibilities of type I and type II errors, the retrospective nature of the study, and the lack of well-defined criteria for obtaining thoracic radiographs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23110573/