EXPRESS: MYOCARDIAL INJURY IN CATS WITH ACUTE BLUNT TRAUMA: PREVALENCE AND PROGNOSTIC IMPLICATIONS

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Cardiology
• Emergency and Critical Care Medicine
• Biomarker Research

Background:

• Acute blunt trauma in cats can lead to significant systemic and cardiac complications.
• Serum cardiac troponin I is a sensitive marker of myocardial injury, but its role in trauma patients is not fully understood.
• Assessing cardiac biomarkers like hs-cTnI can aid in risk stratification and understanding pathophysiology in traumatized animals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of elevated serum high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) in cats following acute blunt trauma.
• To investigate associations between hs-cTnI concentrations and trauma severity, clinicopathological variables, echocardiographic findings, and short-term outcomes.
• To explore the potential prognostic value of hs-cTnI in this population.

Main Methods:

• Prospective enrollment of 39 cats presenting within 48 hours of blunt trauma.
• Comprehensive assessment including physical examination, trauma scoring, radiography, ECG, echocardiography, blood work (CBC, biochemistry, NTproBNP), and hs-cTnI measurement.
• Statistical analysis to assess correlations between hs-cTnI and various clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic parameters, as well as survival outcomes.

Main Results:

• Elevated hs-cTnI concentrations were detected in 87% of cats.
• Hs-cTnI concentrations showed significant positive correlations with markers of renal function (urea, creatinine), inflammation (neutrophil count, NLR), and cardiac structure (IVSd, LVPWd).
• Increased hs-cTnI was associated with increased left ventricular wall thickness, and elevated urea, white blood cell count, and neutrophil count were associated with non-survival.

Conclusions:

• Elevated hs-cTnI is common in cats with acute blunt trauma.
• Hs-cTnI levels are associated with systemic disease severity, renal function, and subtle cardiac changes, suggesting a multifactorial response.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise clinical significance and contribution of myocardial stress, injury, and underlying cardiac conditions in trauma patients.