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Case Reports
. 2023 May-Jun;33(3):393-400.
doi: 10.1111/vec.13283. Epub 2023 Feb 23.

Successful resuscitation and neurological monitoring of a dog with out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest due to pentobarbital overdose

Claudia Iannucci  1 , Sabrina N Hoehne  2 , Vishal D Murthy  2 , Guillaume Dutil  3 , Arianna Maiolini  3
Affiliations
Free article
Case Reports

Successful resuscitation and neurological monitoring of a dog with out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest due to pentobarbital overdose

Claudia Iannucci et al. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio). 2023 May-Jun.
Free article

Abstract

Objective: To describe the clinical signs, electroencephalographic (EEG) findings, treatment, and outcome in a dog after successful resuscitation from out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest (OHCA) induced by pentobarbital intoxication.

Case summary: A 10-year-old, male intact Jack Russell Terrier was referred for management of refractory status epilepticus and presented dead on arrival. After 7 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, return of spontaneous circulation was achieved, but the dog remained comatose, apneic, and lacked brainstem reflexes on neurological examination 6 hours following resuscitation. Magnetic resonance imaging showed polioencephalomalacia consistent with prolonged epileptiform activity, and EEG was initially concerning for electrocerebral inactivity. Following supportive care that included short-term mechanical ventilation, the dog made a full recovery and was discharged from the hospital alive 7 days postresuscitation. It was later revealed that the dog had been administered an unknown amount of pentobarbital during transportation, which likely contributed to the OHCA, clinical, and EEG findings.

New information provided: This is the first report to describe the full recovery and hospital discharge of a dog suffering OHCA and the first description of EEG findings in a clinical veterinary patient following cardiopulmonary arrest and successful resuscitation. Factors likely contributing to successful patient outcome and potential benefits and limitations of EEG in monitoring postcardiac arrest patients are discussed.

Keywords: brainstem auditory-evoked response; electroencephalography; out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest; pentobarbital intoxication; survival to hospital discharge.

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