Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Using glucose and lactate levels to diagnose blood clots in cats' legs
By Yee, Michael et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2024·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Utilization of peripheral glucose and lactate differences in the diagnosis of feline arterial thromboembolism: a multi-center study.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old cat was brought in with signs of severe pain and weakness in its back legs, which indicated a possible blood clot condition called feline arterial thromboembolism (FATE). Tests showed that the levels of lactate and glucose in the affected limbs were much higher than in the non-affected limbs, helping the veterinarian confirm the diagnosis. While these tests were effective in diagnosing FATE, they did not predict whether the cat would survive after treatment. Unfortunately, the study found that higher glucose levels were linked to concurrent heart failure, which can complicate recovery.
People also search for: cat blood clot symptoms · feline arterial thromboembolism treatment · high glucose levels in cats
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To establish lactate and glucose differences between affected and non-affected limbs in cats with feline arterial thromboembolism (FATE). To evaluate the correlation between these values and survival to discharge as well as congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS: Blood glucose and lactate concentrations were prospectively obtained on admission from client-owned FATE cats and client-owned cats presented for other conditions. The glucose and lactate concentrations of the front limbs (or non-affected) and the hind limbs (or affected) were measured. Lactate (Δlactate) and glucose (Δglucose) differences between the two limbs were calculated. RESULTS: The FATE group and control groups included 18 and 41 cats, respectively. The median age of the cats within the FATE group and control groups was 9.5 years and 5 years, respectively. The median Δlactate was significantly higher in the FATE group than in the control group (7.2 mmol/L versus 0.1 mmol/L, respectively; ≤ 0.01). The median Δglucose was significantly higher in the FATE group than in the control group (155 mg/dL versus 3 mg/dL, respectively; ≤ 0.01). A diagnosis of FATE was made using a ∆lactate cutoff of 2.2 mmol/L (100% sensitivity and 95% specificity) or a ∆glucose cutoff of 41 mg/dL (100% sensitivity and specificity). There was no correlation between Δlactate and Δglucose and survival to discharge. A higher ∆glucose was significantly associated with concurrent CHF (0.01). CONCLUSION: Both Δlactate and Δglucose were accurate diagnostic tools for cats with FATE. Neither were correlated with survival to discharge. Higher Δglucose values were significantly associated with the presence of CHF.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39698307/