The impact of clinical presentation, presence of SIRS and organ dysfunction on mortality in bitches with pyometra

This retrospective study evaluated the impact of the clinical presentation of pyometra on the morbidity and mortality of the affected bitches. The medical records of 47 bitches surgically treated for pyometra between May and December 2017 were evaluated. The admission data were analyzed to classify the animals according to the clinical presentation of pyometra, presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and organic dysfunctions (cardiovascular, neurological, renal, and hemostatic). The outcomes were recorded for up to 14 days. The overall mortality rate was 13%. Open and closed pyometra were identified in 62% (n= 29) and 38% (n= 18) of the cases, respectively. The SIRS was present in 44 (94%) bitches, and 27 (57%) had at least one organ dysfunction. The most prevalent dysfunction was hemostatic, followed by neurological, cardiovascular, and renal dysfunction. The clinical presentation of pyometra and the presence of SIRS did not correlate with each other, or with the presence of organ dysfunction and mortality. However, cumulative organ dysfunction (r=0.532, P=<0.001) and the presence of neurological (r=-0.371; P=0.012) and renal dysfunction (r=0.303; P=0.041) were correlated with mortality. Thus, the identification of organ dysfunction through physical examination and routine laboratory analysis proved to be more effective in identifying and predicting the critically ill patients than the SIRS criteria or clinical presentation of the disease.