Abstract
Objective
To determine whether red cell distribution width (RDW) can predict illness severity and mortality risk in a heterogenous population of dogs admitted to the ICU.
Design
Prospective observational study.
Setting
Large, urban, private teaching hospital.
Animals
One hundred eleven dogs consecutively admitted to the ICU between September 2017 and December 2018.
Interventions
None.
Measurements and Main Results
Abbreviated Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation (APPLEfast) score and RDW were measured within 6 h of ICU admission. This study did not demonstrate a significant difference in illness severity across patients stratified by RDW. There was no difference in RDW between survivors and nonsurvivors at hospital discharge or at 30 days.
Conclusions
In this study population, RDW did not correspond with illness severity as measured by APPLEfast. Moreover, RDW did not predict in-hospital or 30-day mortality.
Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, EarlyView.Wiley: Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care: Table of Contents