Epidemiology of severe trauma in cats: An ACVECC VetCOT registry study.

OBJECTIVES: To identify demographic information, epidemiological factors, and clinical abnormalities that differentiate cats with severe trauma, defined as an Animal Trauma Triage Score (ATTS) ≥3 from those with mild injury (ATTS 0-2). DESIGN: Multicenter observational study utilizing data from the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT) registry. SETTING: ACVECC VetCOT Veterinary Trauma Centers. ANIMALS: A total of 3859 cats with trauma entered into the ACVECC VetCOT registry between April 1, 2017 and December 31, 2019. INTERVENTIONS: None MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Cats were categorized by ATTS 0-2 (mild, 65.1%) and ≥3 (severe, 34.9%). There was no age difference between categories. Male animals, particularly intact animals, were overrepresented. Blunt trauma was more common than penetrating, with blunt trauma and a combination of blunt and penetrating trauma being more common in the severe trauma group. While 96.6% of cats with ATTS 0-2 survived to discharge, only 58.5% with ATTS ≥3 survived. Only 46.8% of cats with severe trauma had a point-of-care ultrasound performed, of which 8.9% had free abdominal fluid noted. Hospitalization and surgical procedures were more common in the severe trauma group. Transfusions occurred more frequently in the severe trauma group but only in 4.1% of these cats. Other than ionized calcium, all recorded clinicopathological data (plasma lactate, base excess, PCV, total plasma protein, blood glucose) differed between groups. CONCLUSION: Feline trauma patients with an ATTS ≥3 commonly present to Veterinary Trauma Centers and have decreased survival to discharge compared to patients with ATTS 0-2. Differences exist between these groups, including an increased frequency of blunt force trauma (particularly vehicular trauma), head and spinal trauma, and certain clinicopathological changes in the ATTS ≥3 population. Relatively low incidences of point-of-care ultrasound evaluation and transfusions merit further investigation.

Advanced Vascular Access in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care.

In canine and feline patients presenting in a state of hemodynamic collapse, obtaining vascular access can be challenging. Delays in achieving vascular access interfere with delivery of patient care. In human medicine, definitions of difficult vascular access are variable and include the need for multiple placement attempts or involvement of specialized teams and equipment. Incidence and risk factors for difficult vascular access have not been well studied in veterinary patients, which limits understanding of how best to address this issue. Alternatives to percutaneous peripheral or central intravenous catheterization in dogs and cats include venous cutdowns, umbilical access in newborns, corpus cavernosum access in males, ultrasound-guided catheterization, and intraosseous catheterization. In recent years, advances in ultrasonography and intraosseous access techniques have made these more accessible to veterinary practitioners. These vascular access techniques are reviewed here, along with advantages, limitations, and areas for future study of each technique.

Management of cancer pain: 1. Wider implications of orthodox analgesics.

In this review, the first of two parts, we first provide an overview of the orthodox analgesics used commonly against cancer pain. Then, we examine in more detail the emerging evidence for the potential impact of analgesic use on cancer risk and disease progression. Increasing findings suggest that long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, particularly aspirin, may reduce cancer occurrence. However, acetaminophen may raise the risk of some hematological malignancies. Drugs acting upon receptors of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and GABA "mimetics" (eg, gabapentin) appear generally safe for cancer patients, but there is some evidence of potential carcinogenicity. Some barbiturates appear to slightly raise cancer risks and can affect cancer cell behavior in vitro. For cannabis, studies suggest an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, larynx, and possibly lung. Morphine may stimulate human microvascular endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis; it is not clear whether this might cause harm or produce benefit. The opioid, fentanyl, may promote growth in some tumor cell lines. Opium itself is an emerging risk factor for gastric adenocarcinoma and possibly cancers of the esophagus, bladder, larynx, and lung. It is concluded that analgesics currently prescribed for cancer pain can significantly affect the cancer process itself. More futuristically, several ion channels are being targeted with novel analgesics, but many of these are also involved in primary and/or secondary tumorigenesis. Further studies are needed to elucidate possible cellular and molecular effects of orthodox analgesics and their possible long-term impact, both positive and negative, and thus enable the best possible clinical gain for cancer patients.