Incidence, Severity and Prognosis Associated with Hypernatremia in Dogs and Cats. (May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ueda, Y.; Hopper, K.; Epstein, S.E.
• Is Part Of: Journal of veterinary internal medicine. Volume 29:Number 3(2015:May/Jun.)
• Page Start: 794
• Page End: 800
• Publication Date: 2015-05
• Subjects: Veterinary medicine -- Periodicals; 636.0896
• DOI: 10.1111/jvim.12582
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0891-6640

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jvim12582-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="jvim12582-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Hypernatremia has been associated with substantial morbidity and death in human patients. The incidence and importance of hypernatremia in dogs and cats has not been determined.</p> </sec> <sec id="jvim12582-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Hypothesis/Objectives</title> <p>To describe the incidence of and prognosis associated with hypernatremia in dogs and cats at a university teaching hospital.</p> </sec> <sec id="jvim12582-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Animals</title> <p>A total of 16, 691 dogs and 4, 211 cats with measured blood or serum sodium concentration.</p> </sec> <sec id="jvim12582-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p> <italic>Retrospective study</italic>. Medical records of animals with a blood or serum sodium concentration measured during a 60‐month period were reviewed to determine the severity of hypernatremia and its associated case fatality rate. Cases with moderate (11–15 mmol/L above the reference range) or severe hypernatremia (≥16 mmol/L above the reference range) were further reviewed.</p> </sec> <sec id="jvim12582-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>A total of 957 dogs (5.7%) and 338 cats (8.0%) were diagnosed with hypernatremia. Case fatality rates of dogs and cats with hypernatremia was 20.6 and 28.1%, respectively compared to 4.4 and 4.5% with a normal blood or serum sodium concentration (<italic>P</italic> < .0001). The magnitude of hypernatremia was linearly associated with a higher case fatality rate (<italic>P</italic> < .0001). Hypernatremia was associated with a higher case fatality rate than hyponatremia. Among the animals with moderate or severe hypernatremia, 50% of dogs and 38.5% of cats presented with community‐acquired hypernatremia, and 50% of dogs and 61.5% of cats developed hospital‐acquired hypernatremia.</p> </sec> <sec id="jvim12582-sec-0006" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions and clinical importance</title> <p>Hypernatremia was found infrequently in this population but was associated with increased case fatality rates in dogs and cats. Presence and severity of hypernatremia might be useful as a prognostic indicator.</p> </sec> </abstract>