Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood lactate and glucose levels predict survival in dogs
By Nel, Mirinda et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2004·Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prognostic value of blood lactate, blood glucose, and hematocrit in canine babesiosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 90 dogs with severe babesiosis, a disease caused by parasites that can lead to anemia and organ failure, were evaluated for their blood lactate, glucose, and hematocrit levels. Many of these dogs showed high blood lactate levels, which were linked to a higher risk of death. Specifically, dogs with blood lactate over 45 mg/dL or those who did not show improvement in their lactate levels within the first 16 hours had a very poor prognosis. Monitoring these blood values can help veterinarians predict survival chances in affected dogs.
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Abstract
Canine babesiosis typically causes hemolytic anemia but also can result in multiple organ dysfunction. Human patients with severe disease often have persistent hyperlactatemia, and blood lactate concentration is correlated with survival rate. In dogs, blood lactate concentration has been shown to be of prognostic value in patients with gastric dilatation-volvulus and in dogs admitted to intensive care units. Serial blood lactate and glucose concentrations and hematocrit on admission were determined in 90 dogs with naturally occurring, severe or complicated canine babesiosis. Forty-five dogs (50%) had hyperlactatemia (blood lactate concentration >22.5 mg/dL) and 20 (22.2%) had hypoglycemia (blood glucose concentration <59.4 mg/dL) at presentation. Measurements significantly associated with mortality were hypoglycemia on admission, blood lactate concentration >45 mg/dL on admission, blood lactate concentration >22.5 mg/dL at 8, 16, and 24 hours after admission, and increase or <50% decrease in blood lactate concentration within 8 and 16 hours after admission. Blood lactate concentration persistently >40 mg/dL indicated a very poor prognosis. We conclude that serial blood lactate measurements are useful in predicting survival in dogs with severe and complicated canine babesiosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15320582/