Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is clinically relevant to predict outcomes in dogs with acute kidney injury (AKI) treated with haemodialysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and its role in discriminating between AKI and acute impairment associated with chronic kidney disease (AKI/CKD). METHODS: Dogs diagnosed with AKI or AKI/CKD were prospectively enrolled in the study. For all dogs, CEUS was performed at admission (T0). In addition, in haemodialysis-treated dogs, it was performed after the first dialysis (T1) and 7 days (T7) and 30 days (T30) after admission. RESULTS: A total of 41 dogs were enrolled, of which 30 were treated with haemodialysis and 11 received medical therapy. No significant difference was found between CEUS values at T0 in surviving and non-surviving patients after haemodialysis. A significant difference in cortical peak enhancement intensity (PI) values was found between T0, T1, T7 and T30, with the highest PI value at T0, a significant reduction at T1 and a progressive reduction in subsequent checks. There were no significant differences in CEUS parameters at T0 between patients with AKI and AKI/CKD. LIMITATIONS: AKI aetiology was unknown in most cases, which limits the generalisability of the findings. Furthermore, the small sample size means that the statistical analysis is likely underpowered. CONCLUSION: CEUS could be helpful in evaluating of the prognosis of dogs with AKI during haemodialysis.