Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Right heart ultrasound predicts survival in dogs with lung
By Visser, Lance C et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2020·Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Survival characteristics and prognostic importance of echocardiographic measurements of right heart size and function in dogs with pulmonary hypertension.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 82 dogs with pulmonary hypertension (PH) had their heart size and function measured using echocardiograms to see how these factors affected their survival. Many of the dogs showed enlargement of the right atrium and right ventricle, and about one-third had reduced right ventricular function. The study found that certain measurements, like the size of the right atrium and a specific function test (TAPSE), were linked to shorter survival times. This information can help veterinarians assess the severity of PH and guide treatment decisions for affected dogs.
People also search for: dog pulmonary hypertension symptoms · echocardiogram results in dogs · right heart failure in dogs treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The clinical relevance of echocardiographic measurements of right heart size and function in dogs with pulmonary hypertension (PH) is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine if echocardiographic measurements of right heart size and right ventricular (RV) function are associated with survival times in dogs with PH. ANIMALS: Eighty-two client-owned dogs. METHODS: Retrospective study where data from medical records and baseline echocardiographic examinations were collected and measured in a standardized manner. Owners or primary veterinarians were contacted for outcome data. RESULTS: Enlargement of the right atrium (88%), RV (69%), and pulmonary artery (72%) was common. One-third of the cases had reduced RV function quantified by two-dimensional echocardiography-derived tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). Decreased TAPSE was significantly (P = .008) more common in dogs with PH not secondary to left heart disease (LHD; 43%) compared to dogs with PH secondary to LHD (14%) but median survival times (182, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 39-309 versus 298, 95% CI = 85-314 days, respectively) were not significantly different (P = .78). Right atrial area (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.72, 95% CI = 1.58-4.70), TAPSE < 3.23 mm/kg(HR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.28-3.74), and right heart failure (HR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.18-3.57) were independently associated with shorter survival time (P ≤ .04). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Right atrial area, RV function (TAPSE < 3.23 mm/kg), and right heart failure offer clinically relevant prognostic information in dogs with PH. Results support the quantitative assessment of right heart size and function in dogs with PH.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32501601/