Development of a novel scoring system to predict mortality in canine patients with infection.

Objectives: To develop a novel illness severity scoring system to identify canine patients with infection that are at higher risk of mortality.

Key Findings: Mentation (Modified Glasgow Coma Scale and the Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation mentation score), heart rate, pH, Pco, potassium, and total plasma protein were found to be associated with mortality on univariate analysis. Logistic regression found that mentation, heart rate, and Pco combined to form the following score: [(100 × mentation score) + (3 × heart rate) + (10 × Pco], which was predictive of mortality (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.

Seizures in 3 juvenile dogs after intravenous anesthetic drug withdrawal during weaning from mechanical ventilation suspected to be a sign of iatrogenic withdrawal syndrome.

Objective: To describe seizure activity in juvenile dogs successfully weaned from long-term mechanical ventilation.

Case Series Summary: Three juvenile dogs (all approximately 3 months old) underwent long-term mechanical ventilation with IV anesthesia for suspected noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. Within 24 hours of extubation and within 10 hours of discontinuing midazolam continuous infusions, all dogs experienced seizures, which is 1 sign of iatrogenic withdrawal syndrome.

Computational insights on asymmetrical and receptor-mediated chunking: implications for OCD and Schizophrenia.

Repetitive thoughts and motor programs including perseveration are bridge symptoms characteristic of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia and in the co-morbid overlap of these conditions. The above pathologies are sensitive to altered activation and kinetics of dopamine and receptors that differently influence sequence learning and recall. Recognizing start and stop elements of motor and cognitive behaviors has crucial importance.

Defining sepsis in small animals.

Objective: To discuss the definitions of sepsis in human and veterinary medicine.

Design: International, multicenter position statement on the need for consensus definitions of sepsis in veterinary medicine.

Setting: Veterinary private practice and university teaching hospitals.