Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
What a degenerative left shift means for a dog's survival risk
By Burton, A G et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2013·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The prognostic utility of degenerative left shifts in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at 319 dogs with a condition called degenerative left shift (DLS), which means they had more immature white blood cells than mature ones. This condition was linked to a higher risk of death or needing to be put to sleep compared to 918 dogs without DLS. In fact, only half of the dogs with DLS were alive when they were discharged from the hospital, while 76% of the other dogs survived. The average time these dogs stayed in the hospital was shorter, just 7 days for those with DLS compared to 13 days for the others. If your dog has DLS, it's important to discuss the specific risks with your veterinarian.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: A degenerative left shift (DLS) in dogs is reported to be a poor prognostic indicator, but no studies have been reported to verify this claim. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To characterize the canine population affected by DLS and to determine if the presence and severity of the DLS are associated with increased risk of euthanasia or death. ANIMALS: Three-hundred and nineteen dogs with DLS (cases) and 918 dogs without DLS (controls) presented to the University of California, Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital between April 1, 1995 and April 1, 2010. METHODS: Retrospective case-control study. All cases had a CBC performed within 24 hours of presentation that showed an immature neutrophil count higher than the mature neutrophil count. Controls were matched by year of presentation and primary diagnosis. Survival analysis was used to determine the risk of death or euthanasia associated with DLS and other potential predictors. RESULTS: Half of cases versus 76% of controls were alive at discharge. Median in-hospital survival time was 7 days for cases and 13 days for controls. DLS was a significant predictor of death or euthanasia in both univariate and multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, HR, 1.9; 95% CI 1.54-2.34). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: DLS in dogs is associated with an increased risk of death or euthanasia. This finding, however, varies with disease diagnosis and should be interpreted in light of the individual patient.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24118349/