Use of the Animal Trauma Triage Score, RibScore, Modified RibScore and Other Clinical Factors for Prognostication in Canine Rib Fractures

Objectives To characterize the clinical features among dogs sustaining rib fractures and to determine if age, type and severity of injury, entry blood lactate, trauma score and rib fracture score were associated with outcome. Methods A retrospective study was performed to include dogs that were presented with rib fractures. Risk factors evaluation included breed, age, body weight, diagnosis, presence of a flail chest, bandage use, puncture wound presence, rib fracture number, location of the fracture along the thoracic wall, hospital stay length, body weight, other fractures, pleural effusion, pulmonary contusions, pneumothorax and occurrence of an anaesthetic event. A retrospective calculation of an animal trauma triage (ATT) score, RibScore and Modified RibScore was assigned. Results Forty-one medical records were collected. Motor vehicular trauma represented 56% of the rib fracture aetiology, 41% of patients sustained dog bites and one case was of an unknown aetiology. Significant correlations with risk factors were found only with the ATT score. All patients that died had an ATT score ≥ 5. The ATT score correlated positively with mortality (p < 0.05) with an ATT score ≥ 7 was 88% sensitive and 81% specific for predicting mortality. A 1-point increase in ATT score corresponded to 2.1 times decreased likelihood of survival. Mean hospital stay was 3 days longer for dog bite cases. Clinical Significance There was no increased mortality rate in canine patients that presented with the suspected risk factors. The only risk factor that predicted mortality was the ATT score.