Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Infections in hospitalized dogs and cats - what to know
By Ruple-Czerniak, A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2013·College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Using syndromic surveillance to estimate baseline rates for healthcare-associated infections in critical care units of small animal referral hospitals.
Plain-English summary
This study looked at the rates of healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) in dogs and cats that were hospitalized in critical care units at referral veterinary hospitals. Over a 12-week period, researchers tracked nearly 2,000 animals and found that about 16% of dogs and 12% of cats developed at least one infection during their stay. Factors that increased the risk of these infections included longer hospital stays, having a urinary catheter placed, undergoing surgery, and receiving certain medications. The results show that a standardized system for monitoring these infections can be effectively used across different hospitals. Overall, this research helps establish a baseline for understanding how common these infections are in veterinary care.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Expected rates of healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) have not been established in veterinary hospitals. Baseline rates are critically needed as benchmarks for quality animal care. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the occurrence of events related to HCAI identified using a standardized syndromic surveillance system in small animals in critical care cases at referral hospitals. ANIMALS: Weaned dogs and cats (n = 1,951) that were hospitalized in the critical care unit of referral teaching hospitals during a 12-week period. METHODS: Multicenter, prospective longitudinal study. A survey was completed for all enrolled animals to record basic demographics, information about procedures and treatments that animals received, and to document the occurrence of defined nosocomial syndromes. Data were analyzed to identify risk factors associated with the occurrence of these nosocomial syndromes. RESULTS: Controlling for hospital of admission, 16.3% of dogs (95% confidence intervals [CI], 14.3-18.5) and 12% of cats (95% CI, 9.3-15.5) were reported to have had ≥ 1 nosocomial syndrome occur during hospitalization. Risk factors found to have a positive association with the development of a nosocomial syndrome were longer hospital stays, placement of a urinary catheter, surgical procedures being performed, and the administration of antiulcer medications and antimicrobial drugs excluding those given perioperatively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Syndromic surveillance systems can be successfully standardized for use across multiple hospitals to effectively collect data pertinent to HCAI rates and risk factors for occurrence.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24134779/