Assessment of blood pressure in cats presented with urethral obstruction

Abstract

AbstractObjective: To determine the arterial blood pressure at presentation in male cats with acute urethral obstruction, and to determine whether there was any correlation between these measurements and concurrent metabolic abnormalities.Design: Prospective, single cohort, observational study.Setting: Private, small animal, after‐hours emergency clinic.Animals: Twenty‐eight client‐owned male cats with acute urethral obstruction and no other known coexisting disease.Interventions: Indirect oscillometric blood pressure measurements obtained before blood sampling and treatment.Measurements and main results: Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) measurements, physical examination parameters, serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, potassium, phosphorus, total calcium and magnesium concentration, venous pH, lead II electrocardiogram, and urine volume in bladder were evaluated. No cats were hypotensive at presentation; 71% (20/28) were normotensive (median MAP=100 mmHg, range 93–140 mmHg); and 29% (8/28) were hypertensive (median MAP=153 mmHg, range 145–176 mmHg). Compared with hypertensive cats, normotensive cats had significantly lower heart rates (P=0.0201) and lower calcium (P=0.0152). For all 28 cats, MAP correlated with serum potassium and total calcium (P=0.0033).Conclusions: Though potassium and total calcium were inversely and directly correlated respectively with blood pressure in cats with urethral obstruction, none of the cats were hypotensive on presentation. Normotension on admission does not support the absence of biochemical and physical abnormalities in obstructed cats.