Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate as a Monitoring Marker in the Canine Intensive Care Unit

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Internal Medicine
• Critical Care
• Clinical Pathology

Background:

• The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a common hematological test.
• Its prognostic value in critically ill dogs, particularly in relation to mortality and sepsis, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if admission ESR predicts mortality in hospitalized dogs.
• To assess the prognostic significance of ESR trends during hospitalization (48-72 hours).
• To evaluate ESR as a diagnostic marker for sepsis in dogs.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 124 hospitalized dogs at a university teaching hospital ICU.
• ESR measured on admission (T0) and at 24 hours (T1) and 48-72 hours (T2) postadmission.
• ESR compared between survivors and non-survivors, and between septic and non-septic dogs.

Main Results:

• Admission ESR was significantly higher in non-survivors (28 mm/h) than survivors (11 mm/h) (p=0.03).
• Non-survivors showed increasing ESR, while survivors exhibited decreasing ESR from T0 to T2 (p<0.01).
• Septic dogs had higher ESR (35 mm/h) than non-septic dogs (10 mm/h) (p<0.0001), with a cutoff of 22 mm/h showing 76% sensitivity and 81% specificity for sepsis.

Conclusions:

• Admission ESR is a valuable predictor of mortality in hospitalized dogs.
• ESR monitoring during hospitalization offers additional prognostic insights.
• ESR serves as a useful, accessible marker for sepsis screening in dogs, complementing other diagnostic indicators.