Evaluation of blood cardiac troponin I concentrations obtained with a cage-side analyzer to differentiate cats with cardiac and noncardiac causes of dyspnea.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether measurement of blood cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations with a cage-side analyzer could be used to differentiate cardiac from noncardiac causes of dyspnea in cats.


METHODS
Prospective, multicenter study.


METHODS
44 client-owned cats with dyspnea and 37 healthy staff-owned cats.


METHODS
Affected cats were examined because of dyspnea; treatment was administered in accordance with the attending clinician's discretion. Cats were judged to have a cardiac or noncardiac cause of dyspnea on the basis of results of physical examination, thoracic radiography, and echocardiography. Blood cTnI concentrations were determined with a cage-side analyzer on samples collected within 12 hours after admission of affected cats. Concentrations for healthy cats were obtained for comparison.


RESULTS
5 enrolled cats were excluded from the study because of concurrent cardiac and respiratory disease. Of the remaining 39 cats with dyspnea, 25 had a cardiac cause and 14 had a noncardiac cause. The 25 cats with a cardiac cause of dyspnea had a significantly higher blood cTnI concentration than did the 37 healthy cats or the 14 cats with a noncardiac cause of dyspnea.


CONCLUSIONS
Measurement of cTnI concentrations with a cage-side assay in emergency settings may be useful for differentiating cardiac from noncardiac causes of dyspnea in cats.
New England Animal Medical Center, 595 W Center St, West Bridgewater, MA 02379.
Scott M
SM
Wells
Frances S
FS
Shofer
Patricia C
PC
Walters
Mark E
ME
Stamoulis
Steven G
SG
Cole
Meg M
MM
Sleeper
D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002415:Cats; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood*
D019210:Troponin I