Vasopressor use in 41 critically ill cats (2007-2016)

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Critical Care
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Critically ill cats often experience hypotension, a condition that can be life-threatening.
• Vasopressors are commonly used in human critical care to manage hypotension, but their use in veterinary medicine, particularly in cats, is less well-documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the use and efficacy of vasopressors in critically ill cats.
• To identify factors associated with survival in these patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 41 critically ill cats hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU).
• Data collected included signalment, blood pressure, underlying conditions, sepsis status, treatment type (surgical vs. non-surgical), vasopressor type and duration, adverse events, and survival.
• Doppler blood pressure (DBP) was monitored during vasopressor therapy.

Main Results:

• Twenty-four cats (59%) had evidence of sepsis.
• Thirty-four cats (83%) increased their DBP > 80 mmHg with vasopressor therapy; 29 (71%) became normotensive (DBP > 90 mmHg).
• Sixteen cats (39%) survived, and surgical intervention was associated with significantly higher survival (P = 0.004).

Conclusions:

• Vasopressors, including dopamine and norepinephrine, can effectively improve blood pressure in critically ill hypotensive cats.
• Surgical intervention appears to be a significant positive prognostic factor for survival in this population.
• Further research into vasopressor protocols for feline critical care is warranted.