Retrospective case series.
ANIMALS: 64 dogs.
PROCEDURES: Medical records were reviewed, and signalment, history, resuscitative treatments, serial presurgical
lactate concentrations, surgical findings, and short-term outcome were obtained for dogs with confirmed GDV.
RESULTS: 36 of 40 (90%) dogs with an initial
lactate concentration <or= 9.0 mmol/L survived, compared with only 13 of 24 (54%) dogs with a high initial
lactate (HIL) concentration (> 9.0 mmol/L). Within HIL dogs, there was no difference in mean +/- SD initial
lactate concentration between survivors and nonsurvivors (10.6 +/- 2.3 mmol/L vs 11.2 +/- 2.3 mmol/L, respectively); however, there were significant differences in post-treatment
lactate concentration, absolute change in
lactate concentration, and percentage change in
lactate concentration following resuscitative treatment. By use of optimal cutoff values within HIL dogs, survival rates for dogs with final
lactate concentration > 6.4 mmol/L (23%), absolute change in
lactate concentration <or= 4 mmol/L (10%), or percentage change in
lactate concentration <or= 42.5% (15%) were significantly lower than survival rates for dogs with a final
lactate concentration <or= 6.4 mmol/L (91%), absolute change in
lactate concentration > 4 mmol/
L (86%), or percentage change in
lactate concentration > 42.5% (100%).
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Calculating changes in plasma
lactate concentration following initial treatment in dogs with GDV may assist in determining prognosis and identifying patients that require more aggressive treatment.