Showing papers by "Joanna Dukes-McEwan published in 2021"

Clinical features and outcome of dogs and cats with bidirectional and continuous right-to-left shunting patent ductus arteriosus.

Abstract: Background Studies describing the clinical progression of animals with reverse patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) are lacking. Objectives To describe the signalment, presenting signs, echocardiographic features, and survival in a group of dogs and cats with bidirectional and continuous right-to-left PDA. Animals Forty-six client-owned animals included, comprising 43 dogs and 3 cats with bidirectional or continuous right-to-left PDA. Methods Retrospective multicenter study. Medical records and echocardiographic findings reviewed from animals diagnosed with bidirectional or continuous right-to-left PDA. Impact of ductal morphology, spectral Doppler flow profile, PCV, sildenafil treatment at presentation, sildenafil dose, severity of pulmonary hypertension, general anesthesia with or without surgery and the presence of right-sided congestive heart failure (R-CHF) on crude mortality rate were evaluated via Mantel-Cox log rank comparison of Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed, and hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence intervals [CI]) was presented. Results Hindlimb collapse was the most common presenting sign in dogs (n = 16). Clinical signs in cats were variable. Median survival time was 626 days in dogs (range 1-3628 days). Dogs with R-CHF had a shorter median survival time (58 days vs 1839 days, P = .03). Dogs treated with sildenafil at initial presentation survived longer (1839 days vs 302 days, P = .03), which was the only independent predictor of survival (HR 0.35, CI 0.15-0.86, P = 0.021). Conclusions and clinical importance Dogs and cats with reverse PDA have a variable clinical presentation and prognosis. Survival time was longer in animals prescribed sildenafil at diagnosis. Dogs with R-CHF at presentation have a worse overall outcome.

Evaluation of serum cardiac troponin-I concentrations for diagnosis of infective endocarditis in dogs.

Abstract: Background Infective endocarditis (IE) in dogs is associated with severe disease and a high case fatality rate but often presents with nonspecific clinical signs. Hypothesis/objectives Serum concentration of cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) is elevated in dogs with IE and can differentiate dogs with IE from dogs with other diseases with similar clinical features. Concentration of serum cTnI is negatively correlated with survival time in dogs with IE. Animals Seventy-two client-owned dogs; 29 with IE, 27 with stage-B myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD), and 16 with immune-mediated disease (IMD). Methods Retrospective clinical cohort study. Concentration of serum cTnI was measured in all dogs at time of diagnosis. Clinical findings and echocardiographic interpretation were also recorded. Statistical analyses included Kruskal-Wallis test, pairwise Mann-Whitney U tests, receiver operator characteristic, and Cox proportional hazards. Results Serum concentration of cTnI was significantly higher in the IE group (0.69 ng/mL [0.03-80.8]) than in the MMVD (0.05 ng/mL [0.02-0.11], P Conclusions and clinical importance Cardiac troponin-I concentrations are higher in dogs with IE compared to dogs with preclinical MMVD or IMD. In dogs with a compatible clinical presentation, serum cTnI concentrations >0.625 ng/mL are supportive of IE.