Determination of clopidogrel effect in cats using point-of-care Plateletworks ADP and shipped samples for PFA-200...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Pharmacology
• Hematology

Background:

• Clopidogrel is a first-line antithrombotic for cats, but 15-20% show ineffectiveness.
• Platelet function assays for clopidogrel effectiveness were previously limited to specialty centers.
• Recent advancements suggest in-hospital or shipped sample analysis may be viable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of in-house and shipped blood sample analysis for determining clopidogrel effectiveness in cats.
• To assess the feasibility of using primary veterinary practices for clopidogrel effectiveness testing.

Main Methods:

• Citrated blood samples were collected from cats on clopidogrel therapy across Canadian clinical practices.
• Samples were analyzed in-house using Plateletworks ADP.
• Samples were shipped for remote analysis using PFA-200 P2Y and COL/ADP cartridges.

Main Results:

• Analyzable sample percentages were 86% for Plateletworks ADP, 90% for PFA-200 P2Y, and 87% for PFA-200 COL/ADP.
• No significant difference was found in the number of unanalyzable samples between modalities.
• Prevalence of clopidogrel ineffectiveness varied: 8% (PFA-200 COL/ADP), 25% (PFA-200 P2Y), and 30% (Plateletworks ADP).

Conclusions:

• Feline blood samples can be successfully collected in clinical practices and shipped for PFA-200 analysis.
• The success rate of shipped sample analysis is comparable to point-of-care testing.
• This approach enhances accessibility for determining clopidogrel effectiveness in primary veterinary settings.