Assessment of a point-of-care instrument for identification of primary hemostatic disorders in dogs

Objective-To assess a point-of-care instrument for identification of primar y hemostatic disorders in dogs. Animals-29 healthy dogs and 23 nonanemic do gs with primary hemostatic disorders (thrombocytopenia, n = 6; thrombopathi a, 6; von Willebrand disease [vWD], 11). Procedure-Citrated blood was obtained and closure times (CT) were determine d by measuring the time required for occlusion of an aperture by a platelet plug within the point-of-care instrument. Reference ranges for CT were est ablished, and CT were determined for dogs with primary hemostatic disorders . Results-CT measured with adenosine diphosphate as the platelet agonist (ADP -CT) ranged from 52 to 86 seconds for healthy dogs (mean +/- 2 SD, 67 +/- 7 .8 seconds; median, 65 seconds), and CT measured with epinephrine as the ag onist (EPI-CT), from 97 to 225 seconds (151 +/- 38 seconds; 148 seconds). I n thrombocytopenic dogs, ADP- and EPI-CT were prolonged (> 165 and > 264 se conds, respectively). Five of 6 dogs with thrombopathia had prolonged ADP-C T, whereas EPI-CT was prolonged in ail 6 dogs. In all dogs with vWD, ADP-CT was prolonged, EPI-CT was prolonged in 10 of these dogs. Sensitivity and s pecificity for ADP-CT were 95.7 and 100%, respectively, and positive and ne gative predictive values, 100 and 96.7%, respectively, whereas for EPI-CT, these values were 95.7 and 82.8%, respectively, and 81.5 and 96%, respectiv ely Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-The point-of-care instrument allowed qui ck assessment of primary hemostasis in nonanemic dogs. Use of this instrume nt may be helpful for making decisions regarding management of dogs with pr imary hemostatic disorders.