Evaluation of a portable meter to measure ketonemia and comparison with ketonuria for the diagnosis of canine diabetic ketoacidosis.
BACKGROUND
The diagnosis of canine diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) usually is based on measurement of urinary acetoacetate (ketonuria). In humans, this test is less sensitive and specific than blood 3-beta-hydroxybutyrate (ketonemia) evaluation.


OBJECTIVE
Ketonemia measurement using a portable meter is more accurate than ketonuria determination with a dipstick to diagnose canine DKA.


METHODS
Seventy-two client-owned diabetic dogs with ketonemia, ketonuria, or both.


METHODS
Prospective observational study. Based on blood bicarbonate concentration and anion gap, dogs were divided into 2 groups: patients with DKA (n= 25); patients with diabetic ketosis (n= 47). Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratio (LR) at different cut-off points were determined for both ketonemia and ketonuria. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to assess the accuracy of each diagnostic test to diagnose DKA.


RESULTS
With regard to ketonemia, cut-off values of 2.3 and 4.3 mmol/L revealed 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity, respectively, whereas cut-off values of 2.8 and 3.5 mmol/L showed a -LR of 0.05 and a + LR of 13.16, respectively. With regard to ketonuria, a cut-off value of 1+ revealed 92% sensitivity, 40% specificity, and -LR of 0.20, whereas a cut-off value of 3+ revealed 44% sensitivity, 94% specificity, and +LR of 6.89. The areas under the ROC curves for the ketonemia and ketonuria tests were significantly different (0.97 and 0.81, respectively, P= .003).


CONCLUSIONS
Measurement of ketonemia is accurate and more effective than measurement of ketonuria to diagnose canine DKA.
Di Tommaso
M
M
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
Aste
G
G
Rocconi
F
F
Guglielmini
C
C
Boari
A
A
D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007659:Ketones / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D007659:Ketones; D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid