Clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome in 8 dogs and 2 cats with global hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (2010-2022)

Crawford, AH; Beltran, E; Danciu, CG; Yaffy, D

Abstract

BackgroundGlobal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (GHIBI) results in variable degrees of neurological dysfunction. Limited data exists to guide prognostication on likelihood of functional recovery. HypothesisProlonged duration of hypoxic-ischemic insult and absence of neurological improvement in the first 72 hours are negative prognostic indicators. AnimalsTen clinical cases with GHIBI. MethodsRetrospective case series describing 8 dogs and 2 cats with GHIBI, including clinical signs, treatment, and outcome. ResultsSix dogs and 2 cats experienced cardiopulmonary arrest or anesthetic complication in a veterinary hospital and were promptly resuscitated. Seven showed progressive neurological improvement within 72 hours of the hypoxic-ischemic insult. Four fully recovered and 3 had residual neurological deficits. One dog presented comatose after resuscitation at the primary care practice. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed diffuse cerebral cortical swelling and severe brainstem compression and the dog was euthanized.Two dogs suffered out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest, secondary to a road traffic accident in 1 and laryngeal obstruction in the other. The first dog was euthanized after MRI that identified diffuse cerebral cortical swelling with severe brainstem compression. In the other dog, spontaneous circulation was recovered after 22 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. However, the dog remained blind, disorientated, and ambulatory tetraparetic with vestibular ataxia and was euthanized 58 days after presentation. Histopathological examination of the brain confirmed severe diffuse cerebral and cerebellar cortical necrosis. Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceDuration of hypoxic-ischemic insult, diffuse brainstem involvement, MRI features, and rate of neurological recovery could provide indications of the likelihood of functional recovery after GHIBI.

Citation

Crawford, A., Beltran, E., Danciu, C., & Yaffy, D. (2023). Clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome in 8 dogs and 2 cats with global hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (2010-2022). Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16790

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 27, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jun 14, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023
• Deposit Date: Jan 17, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 19, 2024
• Print ISSN: 0891-6640
• Publisher: Wiley Open Access
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16790
• Keywords: canine; cerebral; feline; hypoxia; ischemic; NEURON-SPECIFIC ENOLASE; CARDIAC-ARREST; PROGNOSTIC VALUE; COMATOSE SURVIVORS; GENERAL-ANESTHESIA; CEREBRAL HYPOXIA; BLOOD-FLOW; DIFFUSION; DAMAGE; PATHOPHYSIOLOGY