Evaluation of a urine dipstick protein to urine specific gravity ratio for the detection of proteinuria in dogs and cats.

BACKGROUND: The utility of urine dipsticks for the quantification of proteinuria is limited because of the influence of urine specific gravity (USG). To circumvent the need for urine protein creatinine ratios (UPCR) some have proposed a calculated dipstick urine protein to USG ratio (DUR) for the detection of proteinuria. However, the performance of DUR has not been evaluated in veterinary patients. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the correlation between DUR and UPCR, while also assessing the effect of urine characteristics on this relationship and evaluating the performance of DUR in detecting proteinuria. ANIMALS: Urine samples from 308 dogs and 70 cats. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of urinalyses and UPCRs from dogs and cats collected between 2016 and 2021. RESULTS: Both canine and feline urine samples showed a positive moderate correlation between the UPCR and DUR. The correlation was not influenced by the presence of active urine sediment, glucosuria, or urine pH. In detecting canine urine samples with a UPCR >0.5, an optimal DUR of 1.4 had sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 89%, 83%, 96%, and 63%, respectively. In detecting feline urine samples with a UPCR >0.4, an optimal DUR of 2.1 had sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 70%, 100%, 100%, and 75%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Use of the DUR can be a relatively reliable method for identification of proteinuria. However, given its poor NPV, the DUR cannot be recommended for exclusion of proteinuric patients.

Breathe easy: inhalational therapy for feline inflammatory airway disease.

PRACTICAL RELEVANCE: Feline inflammatory airway diseases, including (but not limited to) asthma, chronic bronchitis and bronchiectasis, are common and incurable disorders. These diseases require lifelong therapy and may result in substantial morbidity and, in some cases, mortality. Goals of therapy include reduction or resolution of clinical signs and the underlying pathologic processes driving those clinical signs. Inhalational therapy has the advantage of topical delivery of drugs to target tissues at higher doses with fewer systemic effects than oral medications. There are multiple options for delivery devices, and proper selection and training on the use of these devices - including acclimation of the cat to the device - can maximize therapeutic efficacy. AIM: As inhalational therapy is uncommonly used by many veterinarians and owners, this review article provides a foundation on the selection and use of devices and inhalant medications for specific feline inflammatory airway diseases. Cats present a unique challenge with respect to the use of inhalers, and easy-to-follow steps on acclimating them to the devices are provided. The review also discusses the mechanics of inhalational therapy and helps clarify why certain medications, such as albuterol (salbutamol), fluticasone or budesonide, are chosen for certain diseases. The ultimate aim is that the practitioner should feel more comfortable managing common airway diseases in cats. EVIDENCE BASE: In compiling their review, the authors searched the veterinary literature for articles in English that discuss inhalational therapy in cats, and which focus primarily on inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators. While most literature on inhalational therapy in cats is based on experimental feline asthma models, there are some studies demonstrating successful treatment in cats with naturally occurring inflammatory airway disease.

A Novel Centrifugation Method Using a Cell Salvage Device Offers an Alternative to the Use of Leukocyte-Depleting Filters for Autologous Blood Transfusions.

Autotransfusion protocols often use the use of costly filters, such as leukocyte-depleting filters (LDFs), to minimize reinfusion of activated leukocytes and inflammatory mediators associated with reperfusion injury (RI). LDFs are used extensively in hospital settings; however, they represent an additional capital expenditure for hospitals, as well as a constraint on the reinfusion rate of blood products for health-care providers. We compared a commonly used LDF to a novel centrifugation method employing a widely used cell salvage device. Complete blood counts and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) measuring tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) were performed to compare the efficacy of these methodologies. The LDF removed, on average, 94% of all leukocytes, including 96% of neutrophils. The centrifugation method removed, on average, 89% of all leukocytes, including 91% of neutrophils and resulted in a highly concentrated red blood cell product. Our results suggest both methods offer equivalent leukocyte reduction. TNF-α was also comparably reduced following our novel centrifugation method and the LDF method and IL-2 levels were undetectable in all samples. These results indicate our novel centrifugation method may preclude the need for a LDF during select autotransfusion applications.