Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood pleurodesis stops persistent lung collapse in dog after hernia
By Merbl, Yael et al.Ā·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical AssociationĀ·2010Ā·Department of Small Animal Emergency and Critical CareĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Resolution of persistent pneumothorax by use of blood pleurodesis in a dog after surgical correction of a diaphragmatic hernia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A mixed-breed dog weighing 33 pounds was brought to the vet because she had been struggling to breathe for 10 days. After examining her, the vet found signs of a diaphragmatic hernia, which was causing her breathing problems and abdominal swelling. The dog underwent surgery to fix the hernia, but afterward, she developed a condition called pneumothorax (air in the chest cavity) that didn't improve with standard drainage. To resolve this, the vet performed a procedure called blood pleurodesis, where they injected her own blood into the chest, and this successfully cleared the pneumothorax right away.
People also search for: dog breathing problems Ā· mixed-breed dog pneumothorax treatment Ā· diaphragmatic hernia surgery recovery
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION: A 15-kg (33-lb) pregnant female mixed-breed dog of unknown age was referred because of a 10-day history of difficulty breathing. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Physical examination findings were dyspnea, tachypnea, decreased bronchovesicular sounds (bilateral), muffled heart sounds, and abdominal distention with palpable fetuses. Hematologic abnormalities included anemia, leukocytosis, and thrombocytosis. Abnormalities detected during serum biochemical analysis included decreases in concentrations of albumin, sodium, triglycerides, and total calcium and increases in activities of alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase. Thoracic radiography revealed a diaphragmatic hernia with fetuses and a soft tissue or fluid opacity within the thoracic cavity. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: Exploratory celiotomy, ovariohysterectomy, partial sternotomy, placement of a right-sided thoracostomy tube, and herniorrhaphy were performed. After surgery, pneumothorax developed, and the thoracostomy tube was used to remove pleural effusion and free air. The pneumothorax did not resolve after continuous drainage of the thoracic cavity for 4 days. Autologous blood pleurodesis was performed by infusion of 80 mL (6 mL/kg [2.73 mL/lb]) of whole blood. The pneumothorax resolved immediately after injection of the blood. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Blood pleurodesis was used for resolution of pneumothorax in a dog after correction of a diaphragmatic hernia. Blood pleurodesis may provide a simple, safe, and inexpensive medical treatment for resolution of persistent (duration>5 days) pneumothorax when surgery is not an option.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20673111/