Prior oral diuretic therapy was the only independent predictor of mortality (HR 4.21) in dogs with heart failure, while short-term echocardiographic responses to IV diuretics did not predict survival.
Do short-term changes in body weight, renal indices, and echocardiographic variables after intravenous diuretic therapy predict long-term survival in dogs with MMVD hospitalized for CHF?
In dogs hospitalized for CHF, short-term echocardiographic improvements after IV diuretics reflect effective decongestion but do not predict long-term survival, which is instead strongly predicted by prior diuretic use.
Absolute Event Rate: 0% vs 0%
Congestive heart failure (CHF) secondary to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is managed with diuretics, yet the prognostic value of short-term hemodynamic responses remains unclear. This retrospective study evaluated 50 dogs with ACVIM stage C or D MMVD hospitalized for CHF. We assessed changes in body weight, echocardiographic parameters, and renal values before and after intravenous (IV) diuretic therapy to determine their association with survival. IV diuretic therapy led to significant reductions in body weight and echocardiographic indices, including the left atrium-to-aortic root ratio (LA/Ao), normalized left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (LVIDDN), and early diastolic transmitral flow velocity (all P P P < 0.001). Dogs with prior diuretic use had shorter median survival (194 days) than those without (459 days). Thus, short-term echocardiographic improvements reflect effective decongestion rather than long-term prognosis. Prognostic evaluation should prioritize baseline assessments and treatment history.
Park et al. (Tue,) reported a other. Prior oral diuretic therapy was the only independent predictor of mortality (HR 4.21) in dogs with heart failure, while short-term echocardiographic responses to IV diuretics did not predict survival.