Clinicopathological abnormalities associated with increased animal triage trauma score in cats presenting for vehicular trauma: 75 cases (1998-2009).

OBJECTIVE

To document the clinical and clinicopathological changes in cats presenting with vehicular trauma (VT) and to determine whether the calculated animal trauma triage (ATT) score was associated with any clinicopathological abnormalities.

DESIGN

Retrospective descriptive study conducted between 1998 and 2009.

SETTING

University veterinary teaching hospital.

ANIMALS: Seventy-five client-owned cats that presented for VT to an urban veterinary hospital.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN

RESULTS

Pertinent history, physical examination findings, results of biochemical testing, and outcome were extracted from medical records. ATT score was calculated based on physical examination. Patients were classified as having either a low (<5) ATT (n = 30) or a high (≥5) ATT (n = 45) score. Male cats were overrepresented (60.0%), and a majority of cats had outdoor access (65.3%). Low PCV (P = 0.024), low total plasma protein concentration (P = 0.032), low venous blood pH (P = 0.047), high plasma lactate concentration (P = 0.047), low plasma bicarbonate concentration (P = 0.047), low base excess (P = 0.047), and high plasma glucose concentration (P = 0.047) were associated with higher ATT scores. In addition, low noninvasive blood pressure measurements (P = 0.008) were associated with higher ATT scores.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a significant association between lower PCV, lower total plasma protein concentration, lower venous blood pH, higher plasma lactate concentration, lower plasma bicarbonate concentration, lower base excess, higher whole blood glucose concentration, and lower noninvasive blood pressure and higher ATT scores at presentation in feline patients suffering from VT. Prospective evaluation of these values may prove useful in furthering understanding of the pathophysiology of trauma in cats.