title: Complications of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy in Dogs and Cats Receiving Corticosteroid Treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Corticosteroid treatment is commonly required in veterinary patients for treatment of inflammatory, immune-mediated, neurologic, and neoplastic diseases, which also may require assisted enteral nutrition via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate complications associated with PEG use in dogs and cats receiving corticosteroid treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two animals were included in the study: 12 dogs and 2 cats in the steroid group and 26 dogs and 2 cats in the control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records, between January 2006 and March 2015, were reviewed. Patients were included if the PEG tube was in use for at least 24 hours and if complete medical records were available. Patients were assigned to the control group if they were not treated with corticosteroids during PEG use or to the steroid group if they had received corticosteroids during PEG tube use. Complications were classified as minor, moderate, and major in severity. Maximum severity complication rate was compared between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The general prevalence of complications was found to be similar between groups (P = .306), but in the steroid group, 43% of the cases developed a major severity complication compared with 18% of the control group (P = .054).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Owners of dogs and cats receiving corticosteroids, in which PEG is planned, should be counseled about possible complications beyond those associated with PEG tube usage alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Research Office, Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom.|Immune Regulation Laboratory, Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Garden
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D002415:Cats; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones
keywords: Complications; Corticosteroids; Enteral nutrition; Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube