Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood test to tell dog fainting from seizures
By Dutton, E et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2017·Northwest Surgeons, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serum cardiac troponin I in canine syncope and seizures.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs experiencing collapse was studied to see if a blood test measuring cardiac troponin I (cTnI) could help tell the difference between heart-related fainting (cardiogenic syncope) and seizures. The results showed that dogs with heart issues had higher cTnI levels compared to those with seizures, but there was still some overlap in the results. This means that while the test can be helpful, it isn't perfect for distinguishing between these conditions. If your dog collapses, your vet may consider this test along with other evaluations to determine the cause.
People also search for: dog collapse causes · dog seizure symptoms · heart problems in dogs · cardiac troponin test for dogs · how to tell if my dog fainted
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine if serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentration distinguishes between cardiogenic syncope and collapsing dogs presenting with either generalized epileptic seizures (both with and without cardiac disease) or vasovagal syncope. ANIMALS: Seventy-nine prospectively recruited dogs, grouped according to aetiology of collapse: generalized epileptic seizures (group E), cardiogenic syncope (group C), dogs with both epileptic seizures and cardiac disease (group B), vasovagal syncope (group V) or unclassified (group U). METHODS: Most patients had ECG (n = 78), echocardiography (n = 78) and BP measurement (n = 74) performed. Dogs with a history of intoxications, trauma, evidence of metabolic disorders or renal insufficiency (based on serum creatinine concentrations >150 μmol/L and urine specific gravity <1.030) were excluded. Serum cTnI concentrations were measured and compared between groups using non-parametric statistical methods. Multivariable regression analysis investigated factors associated with cTnI. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis examined whether cTnI could identify cardiogenic syncope. RESULTS: Median cTnI concentrations were higher in group C than E (cTnI: 0.165 [0.02-27.41] vs. 0.03 [0.01-1.92] ng/mL; p<0.05). Regression analysis found that serum cTnI concentrations decreased with increasing time from collapse (p=0.015) and increased with increasing creatinine concentration (p=0.028). Serum cTnI diagnosed cardiogenic syncope with a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 80%. CONCLUSIONS: Serum cTnI concentrations were significantly different between groups C and E. However, due to the overlap in cTnI concentrations between groups cTnI, measurement in an individual is not optimally discriminatory to differentiate cardiogenic syncope from collapse with generalized epileptic seizures (both with and without cardiac disease) or vasovagal syncope.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27932282/