Endothelial glycocalyx thickness in cats with naturally occurring trauma or non-traumatic illness: an exploratory study.

Introduction: Endothelial glycocalyx damage contributes to morbidity and mortality in critical illness. In this exploratory study in cats with trauma and non-traumatic illness, the endothelial glycocalyx thickness was estimated using sidestream dark field videomicroscopy and the Glycocheck™ software, with the primary aims of assessing feasibility, describing of Glycocheck™ microcirculatory parameters and exploring potential effects of illness severity and IV fluid administration. Methods: This was a prospective, single center, observational study. Recorded variables included age, weight, diagnosis, length of hospitalization (LOH), packed cell volume (PCV) and IV fluid administration. Each patient was assigned a fast Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation score (APPLE Results: Nineteen cats were included, 11 with trauma. Success rate for measurements was 95%. Survival to discharge was 95%. Mean ± standard deviation for PBR 5-25 was 2.60 ± 0.22 μm, PBR 5-9: 1.38 ± 0.15 μm, PBR 10-19: 3.02 ± 0.22 μm and PBR 20-25: 3.03 ± 0.38 μm, within previously established tolerance intervals. There were no statistically significant effects of group, LOH, ATT, APPLE Conclusion: This exploratory study demonstrates the feasibility of assessing endothelial glycocalyx thickness in hospitalized sick cats. While no effects of clinical variables on PBR were identified, the study highlights important methodological considerations and provides valuable insights to guide future, larger-scale investigations.