title: Admission base excess as a predictor of transfusion requirement and mortality in dogs with blunt trauma: 52 cases (2007-2009).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the ability of admission base excess (ABE) to predict blood transfusion requirement and mortality in dogs following blunt trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study 2007-2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two dogs admitted to the intensive care unit for treatment following blunt trauma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Animals requiring red blood cell transfusion (N = 8) had significantly lower ABE than those not requiring transfusion (N = 44; median base excess [BE] = -8.4 versus -4.7, P = .0034), while there was no difference in admission packed cell volume (PCV) or age. Animals that died or were euthanized due to progression of signs (N = 5) had lower median ABE than those that survived (N = 47; median BE = -7.3 versus -4.9, P = 0.018). Admission PCV and age were not significantly different between survivors and nonsurvivors. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis showed an ABE cutoff of -6.6 was 88% sensitive and 73% specific for transfusion requirement (P < 0.001), and a cutoff of -7.3 was 81% sensitive and 80% specific for survival (P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that ABE was a predictor of transfusion requirement that was independent of overall severity of injury as measured by the Animal Triage Trauma (ATT) score, but a similar analysis showed that only ATT was an independent predictor of survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ABE in dogs with blunt trauma was a predictor of mortality and blood transfusion requirement within 24 hours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Jenefer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Stillion
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000137:Acid-Base Imbalance / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood / Q000293:injuries*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*