Effect of two sedative protocols and hepatosplenic disease on Doppler indices of splenic arteries in dogs: a preliminary study.

Doppler flow indices (DFIs), such as the resistive index (RI) and the pulsatility index (PI), are commonly used to characterize blood flow. Parenchymal infiltration of an organ and administration of sedative and anaesthetic drugs can affect DFIs by altering resistance to blood flow. In this prospective study, the effect on DFIs of two sedative protocols (acepromazine or dexmedetomidine, each combined with butorphanol) and the presence or absence of hepatic and/or splenic disease, was investigated in the splenic arteries of 75 dogs. The RI and PI in splenic arteries of dogs sedated with dexmedetomidine and butorphanol were lower than those of dogs sedated with acepromazine and butorphanol. PI in splenic arteries was higher in animals with hepatosplenic disease than in healthy animals. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves suggested that PI measured in canine splenic arteries could be useful in predicting the presence of hepatosplenic disease in the absence of other abdominal disease.