The role of the sequential organ failure assessment score in evaluating the outcome in dogs with parvoviral enteritis

Abstract

Scientific background: The aim of this prospective study was to assess whether the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score could be indicative of outcome (survival to discharge) in dogs with parvoviral enteritis.

Methods: In 35 naturally infected dogs, the SOFA score and clinical score were calculated and the presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome was verified on admission and during the first four days of hospitalization.

Results: 26 dogs survived, and out of the 9 non-survivors, 6 dogs had positive blood cultures. Mean SOFA scores and clinical scores between survivors and non-survivors and between septic and non-septic dogs on admission and on each hospitalization day were significantly different. Trends in SOFA score indicated that in non-survivors and septic dogs there was an increase in SOFA score during the first four days of hospitalization and a decrease occurred in survivors and non-septic dogs. The area under the curve (ROC curve analysis) for SOFA score predicting the outcome was 0.797 and predicting sepsis was 0.834. The best cut-off point of SOFA score for predicting the final outcome was 3.5 and the best cut-off of SOFA score for predicting sepsis was also 3.5.

Conclusions: Either single values or trends in SOFA score can assist in suspecting sepsis and reaching prognosis in parvoviral enteritis.

Keywords: Dogs; Parvovirus; SOFA score; Sepsis; Systemic inflammatory response syndrome.