Key result
Emergency abdominal surgery in dogs resulted in a 15-day mortality rate of 20.7% and a 29.3% incidence of major complications.
Why the study?
Emergency abdominal surgery carries high morbidity and mortality in humans, but there is less evidence characterising outcomes as a single group in dogs.
What are the clinical course, complications, and outcomes of dogs undergoing emergency abdominal surgery?
Observational (n=82)
What are the clinical course, complications, and outcomes of dogs undergoing emergency abdominal surgery?
Emergency abdominal surgery in dogs carries high mortality (20.7%) and morbidity rates, with perioperative factors like tachycardia, hypothermia, and lactate acidosis significantly associated with death.
Supports risk stratification by perioperative factors in dogs; leaves open whether targeted interventions improve survival.
Emergency abdominal surgery carries high morbidity and mortality rates in human medicine; however, there is less evidence characterising the outcome of these surgeries as a single group in dogs. The aim of the study was to characterise the clinical course, associated complications and outcome of dogs undergoing emergency abdominal surgery. A retrospective study was conducted. Dogs undergoing emergency laparotomy were included in the study. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify variables correlated with death and complications. Eighty-two dogs were included in the study. The most common reason for surgery was a gastrointestinal foreign body. Overall, the 15-day mortality rate was 20.7% (17/82). The median (range) length of hospitalisation was 3 (0.5–15) days. Of the 82 patients, 24 (29.3%) developed major complications and 66 (80.5%) developed minor complications. Perioperative factors significantly associated with death included tachycardia (p < 0.001), hypothermia (p < 0.001), lactate acidosis (p < 0.001), shock index > 1 (p < 0.001), leukopenia (p < 0.001) and thrombocytopenia (p < 0.001) at admission, as well as intraoperative hypotension (p < 0.001) and perioperative use of blood products (p < 0.001). The results of this study suggest that mortality and morbidity rates after emergency abdominal surgery in dogs are high.
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Fages et al. (2021) conducted an observational in Emergency abdominal surgery (n=82). Emergency abdominal surgery was evaluated on 15-day mortality rate. Emergency abdominal surgery in dogs resulted in a 15-day mortality rate of 20.7% and a 29.3% incidence of major complications.
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