Epidemiology of severe trauma in cats: An ACVECC VetCOT registry study

Objectives To identify demographic information, epidemiological factors, and clinical abnormalities that differentiate cats with severe trauma, defined as an Animal Trauma Triage Score (ATTS) ≥3 from those with mild injury (ATTS 0–2). Design Multicenter observational study utilizing data from the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT) registry. Setting ACVECC VetCOT Veterinary Trauma Centers. Animals A total of 3859 cats with trauma entered into the ACVECC VetCOT registry between April 1, 2017 and December 31, 2019. Interventions None Measurements and Main Results Cats were categorized by ATTS 0–2 (mild, 65.1%) and ≥3 (severe, 34.9%). There was no age difference between categories. Male animals, particularly intact animals, were overrepresented. Blunt trauma was more common than penetrating, with blunt trauma and a combination of blunt and penetrating trauma being more common in the severe trauma group. While 96.6% of cats with ATTS 0–2 survived to discharge, only 58.5% with ATTS ≥3 survived. Only 46.8% of cats with severe trauma had a point‐of‐care ultrasound performed, of which 8.9% had free abdominal fluid noted. Hospitalization and surgical procedures were more common in the severe trauma group. Transfusions occurred more frequently in the severe trauma group but only in 4.1% of these cats. Other than ionized calcium, all recorded clinicopathological data (plasma lactate, base excess, PCV, total plasma protein, blood glucose) differed between groups. Conclusion Feline trauma patients with an ATTS ≥3 commonly present to Veterinary Trauma Centers and have decreased survival to discharge compared to patients with ATTS 0–2. Differences exist between these groups, including an increased frequency of blunt force trauma (particularly vehicular trauma), head and spinal trauma, and certain clinicopathological changes in the ATTS ≥3 population. Relatively low incidences of point‐of‐care ultrasound evaluation and transfusions merit further investigation.