ABSTRACT:
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex syndrome, associated with unfavorable progression, especially in dogs in the intensive care unit (ICU), and presents high morbidity and mortality. The diagnosis of AKI requires a combination of laboratory tests, such as serum creatinine and urea, considered to be poorly sensitive and specific for the early detection of discrete degrees during loss of renal function. The biomarker cystatin C is considered superior because it has a better correlation with the glomerular filtration rate. However, there are few studies that demonstrate the utility of cystatin C in dogs in ICU. The objective of this study was to compare cystatin C to creatinine serum level to detect early stage of AKI in dogs in an intensive care. Measurements of these analytes were performed at the time of admission, 24 and 48 hours after. Serum cystatin C presented higher concentrations in 78.6% while serum creatinina elevated in only 28.5% of the dogs. The results demonstrated that cystatin C can be used for the early detection of acute kidney injury in dogs in ICUs because of its greater sensitivity compared to traditional markers.
INDEX TERMS:
Cystatin C; UTI; acute kidney injury; creatinine; dogs; clinics