Effect on prophylactic antiseizure medication on the incidence of postattenuation neurologic signs in cats undergoing surgical attenuation of single congenital portosystemic shunts: 121 cases (2007-2023).
Otero Balda I1, Selmic LE*2, Stamenova P3, Simpson M*3, Lipscomb VJ*3, Chanoit G*4, De Rooster H*5, Devriendt N*5, Kummeling A*6, Maggiar A7, Billet JP*7, Oramas A8, Singh A*9, Grzywa KM10, Tivers MS*10, Soto Muñoz R11, Mullins RA*1
1Section of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, 2Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA, 3Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, United Kingdom, 4Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom, 5Small Animal Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium, 6Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands, 7Centre Hospitalier Vétérinaire Atlantia, Nantes, France, 8Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA, 9Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, 10Paragon Veterinary Referrals, Wakefield, United Kingdom, 11Veterinary Specialists Ireland, Clonmahon, Summerhill, Ireland.
Objectives:
Development of postattenuation neurologic signs (PANS) is a potentially severe complication after surgical correction of congenital portosystemic shunts (cPSS) in cats. There is no strong evidence that prophylactic treatment with any drug prevents or reduces the incidence of PANS or specifically PAS in cats. Study objectives were to report the incidence of PANS in a large cohort of cats undergoing surgical attenuation of a single cPSS and to compare incidence of PANS in cats that either did or did not receive prophylactic antiseizure medication.
Methods:
Medical records of 11 veterinary institutions were searched to identify cats that underwent surgical attenuation of a single cPSS from 2007-2023. Exclusion criteria included cats with arteriovenous malformation, cats that died or were euthanised within 24 hours postoperatively for reasons unrelated to PANS, and cats with incomplete medical records to permit classification into the appropriate prophylactic treatment group. Univariable logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the effect of prophylactic treatment with antiseizure medication on PANS development.
Results:
One hundred twenty-one cats were included. Fifty-nine (48.8%) cats developed PANS, with twenty-six (44.1%) developing postattenuation seizures(15 generalised, 1 focal only, 9 unknown). Sixty (49.6%) cats received prophylactic LEV with thirty-three (55%) receiving appropriate protocols. Sixteen (48.5%) cats that received appropriate prophylactic LEV developed PANS while 32/61(52.5%) cats that did not received prophylactic LEV developed PANS (p=0.62).
Conclusions:
The incidence of PANS of cats in this study was 48.8%. Prophylactic treatment with levetiracetam did not have a protective effect against PANS development.