ACVECC-Veterinary Committee on Trauma registry report 2020-2021.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care
• Trauma Registry Analysis
• Comparative Veterinary Medicine

Background:

• The American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) established the Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT) to collect comprehensive trauma data.
• Veterinary Trauma Centers (VTCs) are categorized into Level I and Level II, with distinctions between university-affiliated and private practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present summative data from the VetCOT registry, comparing university and private practices, and Level I and II VTCs.
• To analyze patient demographics, trauma types, severity, interventions, and outcomes in canine and feline trauma cases.

Main Methods:

• A multi-institutional registry collected data from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021.
• Data were captured via a web-based system (REDCap) by trained personnel, including demographics, trauma details, severity scores (mGCS, ATT), laboratory results, and interventions.

Main Results:

• Twenty-two VTCs contributed 9,758 dog and 11,734 cat trauma case records.
• University and Level I VTCs managed a higher percentage of head trauma cases compared to private and Level II VTCs.
• University VTCs performed a higher proportion of surgical procedures (50% for dogs, 40.5% for cats) than private VTCs (39.2% for dogs, 28.6% for cats).
• Overall survival to discharge was high: 93.1% for dogs and 83.6% for cats.

Conclusions:

• The VetCOT registry effectively collates extensive international trauma data for dogs and cats.
• Survival rates remain consistent, but university and Level I VTCs handle more severe head trauma and surgical cases.
• Registry data will inform future clinical trials, observational studies, and translational research to improve trauma patient outcomes.