Changes in tissue perfusion parameters in dogs with severe sepsis/septic shock in response to goal-directed hemodynamic optimization at admission to ICU and the relation to outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the changes in tissue perfusion parameters in dogs with severe sepsis/septic shock in response to goal-directed hemodynamic optimization in the ICU and their relation to outcome. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: ICU of a veterinary university medical center. ANIMALS: Thirty dogs with severe sepsis or septic shock caused by pyometra who underwent surgery and were admitted to the ICU. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Severe sepsis was defined as the presence of sepsis and sepsis-induced dysfunction of one or more organs. Septic shock was defined as the presence of severe sepsis plus hypotension not reversed with fluid resuscitation. After the presumptive diagnosis of sepsis secondary to pyometra, blood samples were collected and clinical findings were recorded. Volume resuscitation with 0.9% saline solution and antimicrobial therapy were initiated. Following abdominal ultrasonography and confirmation of increased uterine volume, dogs underwent corrective surgery. After surgery, the animals were admitted to the ICU, where resuscitation was guided by the clinical parameters, central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO(2)), lactate, and base deficit. Between survivors and nonsurvivors it was observed that the ScvO(2), lactate, and base deficit on ICU admission were each related independently to death (P = 0.001, P = 0.030, and P < 0.001, respectively). ScvO(2) and base deficit were found to be the best discriminators between survivors and nonsurvivors as assessed via receiver operator characteristic curve analysis. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that ScvO(2) and base deficit are useful in predicting the prognosis of dogs with severe sepsis and septic shock; animals with a higher ScvO(2) and lower base deficit at admission to the ICU have a lower probability of death.

Bispectral monitoring in dogs subjected to ovariohysterectomy and anesthetized with halothane, isoflurane or sevoflurane.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of halothane (H), isoflurane (I) or sevoflurane (S) on the bispectral index (BIS), and the effect of the addition of meperidine in dogs subjected to ovariohysterectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, blinded, clinical trial. ANIMALS: Forty-eight female mixed-breed dogs, with weights varying from 10 to 25 kg. METHODS: All dogs were premedicated with acepromazine (A) (0.1 mg kg(-1) IM) or A and meperidine (M) (3 mg kg(-1) IM) and they were divided into six groups of eight animals (AH, AMH, AI, AMI, AS, and AMS). Fifteen minutes after premedication they were anesthetized with propofol (5 mg kg(-1) IV) and then orotracheally intubated. Anesthesia was maintained with halothane, isoflurane or sevoflurane, respectively. The BIS, variables were recorded at 15 minutes after administering pre-anesthetic medication (T0); 10 minutes of anesthesia maintenance (T1); right ovarian pedicle ligation (T2); muscle suturing (T3); skin suture (T4) and 10 minutes after terminating the inhalant anesthetic (T5), respectively. RESULTS: BIS values were decreased at all times when compared to the baseline values in all groups (p<0.05). In the comparative assessment between groups, the values obtained at T0 and T1 were similar for all groups. At T2, the values in AMH were lower than those obtained in AI, AMI and AS (p<0.05). At the same time significantly higher values were found for AI when compared to AMS (p<0.01). There was a correlation between the bispectral index and the expired anesthetic fraction in all groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Within groups given the same inhalant anesthetic the bispectral index was a good indicator for the degree of hypnosis in dogs, indicating a good correlation with the amount of anesthetic and the nociceptive stimulation. BIS was a less reliable indicator of relative anesthetic depth when comparing equipotent end-tidal concentrations between the three inhalants.