Sonographic assessment of volaemia: development and validation of a new method in dogs

• Published in: Journal of small animal practice 2018-03, Vol.59 (3), p.174-182
• Main Authors: Cambournac, M., Goy‐Thollot, I., Violé, A., Boisvineau, C., Pouzot‐Nevoret, C., Barthélemy, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aorta; Blood; Blood & organ donations; Coronary vessels; Life Sciences; Ultrasound; Variability
• ISSN: 0022-4510; 1748-5827
• DOI: 10.1111/jsap.12759

Objectives The aims of this study were to describe a method for the sonographic assessment of volaemia, to determinate inter‐ and intra‐operator variability and to assess the ability to detect blood loss after blood donation in healthy dogs. Materials and Methods The left kidney was identified in a spleno‐renal view, and transverse views of the caudal vena cava and aorta were obtained in 12 dogs. Vessel diameters were measured in B‐mode, in duplicate by two operators, and the caudal vena cava:aorta ratio was calculated. Intra‐ and inter‐operator variabilities were assessed using a Bland–Altman method by plotting the differences between the repeated measurements obtained from the same subject by the same operator and by the two operators against their means. Before and after blood donation measurements were compared using paired t‐tests or one‐sample t‐tests, if appropriate. Results Intra‐ and inter‐operator variability was within the limit of agreement for the vast majority of measurements. After a blood donation of 9·8 ±2·2 mL/kg, the mean aorta measurements were not significantly different from those obtained before blood donation (1·11 versus 1·10, P=0·28), whereas the mean caudal vena cava measurements and caudal vena cava:aorta ratios were significantly lower (1·28 versus 1·01, P