Outcome prediction in dogs admitted through the emergency room: Accuracy of staff prediction and comparison with an illness severity stratification system for hospitalized dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether emergency staff and students can predict patient outcome within 24 hours of admission, comparing the accuracy of clinician prognostication with outcome prediction by Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation (APPLE)fast scoring and identifying whether experience or mood would be associated with accuracy. DESIGN: Prospective observational study between April 2020 and March 2021. SETTING: University teaching hospital. ANIMALS: One hundred and sixty-one dogs admitted through an Emergency Service were assessed. Where data were available, an APPLEfast score was calculated per patient. An APPLEfast score of >25 was deemed a predictor for mortality. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Emergency staff and students were asked to complete surveys about dogs admitted to the emergency room. All clinicopathological data were available for review, and the animals were available for examination. Data collected included opinions on whether the patient would be discharged from hospital, a mood score, position, and experience in Emergency and Critical Care. One-hundred and twenty-five dogs (77.6%) were discharged; 36 dogs (22.4%) died or were euthanized. Two hundred and sixty-six responses were obtained; 202 responses (75.9%) predicted the correct outcome. Students, interns, residents, faculty, and nurses predicted the correct outcome in 81.4%, 58.3%, 83.3%, 82.1%, and 65.5% of cases, respectively. Of 64 incorrect predictions, 43 (67.2%) predicted death in hospital. APPLEfast scores were obtained in 121 cases, predicting the correct outcome in 83 cases (68.6%). Of 38 cases in which APPLEfast was incorrect, 27 (71.1%) were dogs surviving to discharge. Mean APPLEfast score was 22.9 (± 6.2). There was no difference in outcome prediction accuracy between staff and APPLEfast scores (P = 0.13). Neither experience nor mood score was associated with outcome prediction ability (P = 0.55 and P = 0.74, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Outcome prediction accuracy by staff is not significantly different to APPLEfast scoring where a cutoff of >25 is used to predict mortality. When predictions were incorrect, they often predicted nonsurvival.

Esophageal feeding tube placement and the associated complications in 248 cats.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal feeding tubes are commonly used to provide enteral nutrition to cats, but their use is associated with adverse effects. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the complications associated with e-tube placement in cats and to identify factors predisposing to these complications. ANIMALS: Cats that had an esophageal feeding tube placed (n = 248). METHODS: This was a retrospective case review in which clinical records were interrogated across 2 referral centers to identify records of cats that had esophageal tubes placed. Clinical data were collected for signalment, clinical indication, method of placement, time of removal, and any complications. Logistic regression was then employed to assess the odds of an increase in complications, including infection and death. RESULTS: For those cats that survived to discharge, tubes were in place for a median of 11 days, ranging from 1 to 93 days. Complications occurred in 35.8% of the cats, with the most common being tube dislodgement (14.5%), followed by stoma site infections (12.1%). Cats receiving glucocorticoids or oncolytic agents (OR = 3.91; 95% CI, 1.14-13.44) and with discharge at the stoma site (OR = 159.8; CI, 18.9-1351) were at an increased odds of developing a stoma site infection, whereas those with a lower weight (OR = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.02-1.75) or (pancreatic [OR = 4.33; 95% CI, 1.02-18.47], neoplastic [OR = 15.44; 95% CI, 3.67-65.07], respiratory [OR = 19.66; 95% CI, 2.81-137.48], urogenital [OR = 5.78; 95% CI, 1.15-28.99], and infectious diseases [OR = 11.57; 95% CI, 2.27-58.94]) had an increased odds of death. The duration of time in place and the cat being discharged with the tube in place were not associated with an increased risk of infection or death. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Owners should be made aware of the potential risks involved and their predisposing factors.