NONCARDIOGENIC PULMONARY-EDEMA IN DOGS AND CATS - 26 CASES (1987-1993)

Medical records of 23 dogs and 3 cats treated for noncardiogenic pulmo nary edema (NPE) resulting from airway obstruction (n = 8), cranial tr auma (7), electric shock (7), or seizures (4) between 1987 and 1993 we re reviewed. There were 18 pure-bred dogs, 5 mixed-breed dogs, 2 domes tic shorthair cats, and 1 Siamese. Sixteen animals were male, and 10 w ere female. All but 7 were less than 1 year old. Time between the inci ting incident and onset of respiratory tract signs ranged from minutes to several hours. Respiratory distress was the primary clinical sign for all animals with NPE resulting from airway obstruction, cranial tr auma, or seizures, and for 2 of the 7 animals with NPE resulting from electric shock. The only consistent clinicopathologic abnormality was hyperglycemia, which was detected in 12 animals. Arterial blood gas pa rtial pressures were measured in 11 animals, 10 were hypoxemic. On tho racic radiographs, the predominant pattern of pulmonary infiltration w as alveolar. Symmetry of involvement, which was assessed by examining dorsoventral or ventrodorsal radiographic projections, could be determ ined for 23 animals. In 18, involvement was asymmetric, and in 13 of t hose 18, the right side was predominantly involved. On lateral radiogr aphic projections, the caudodorsal quadrant of the lung field was invo lved primarily or as part of a diffuse distribution in all but 1 anima l. Generally, animals with NPE resulting from airway obstruction had t he greatest degree of radiographic involvement, followed in decreasing order by animals with NPE resulting from cranial trauma, animals with NPE resulting from seizures, and animals with NPE resulting from elec tric shock. Overall, 9 animals died. Four of the 8 animals with NPE re sulting from airway obstruction and 2 of the 7 animals with NPE result ing from cranial trauma died or were euthanatized because of the se ve rity of the pulmonary compromise. One animal with NPE resulting from e lectric shock developed seizures and died. Two of the 4 animals with N PE resulting from seizures were euthanatized because of the underlying cause of the seizures. Overall, 20 of the 26 animals were discharged, died, or were euthanatized within 48 hours of admission to the hospit al.