Evaluation of blood-to-fluid gradient of glucose and lactate as biomarkers in the early diagnosis of septic peritonitis in dogs

Septic peritonitis is a serious, life-threatening condition with a high mortality rate. Accurate diagnosis is crucial for the survival of the affected animal. The present study analyzed the use of a blood-to-fluid gradient of glucose and lactate as a biomarker in the diagnosis of septic peritonitis. Thirteen dogs with septic peritonitis and nine dogs with aseptic peritonitis were included in this study. Blood-to-fluid glucose gradient was significantly high, and blood-to-fluid lactate gradient was significantly low in septic peritonitis compared with the aseptic peritonitis. A blood-to-fluid glucose gradient of ≥12 mg/dL showed 100% sensitivity and 55.6% specificity, whereas a blood-to-fluid lactate gradient of ≤‒ 2.0 mmol/L showed 92.3% sensitivity and 77.8% specificity in diagnosing septic peritonitis. The results of the present study showed that the blood-to-fluid lactate gradient was more accurate than the blood-to-fluid glucose gradient in the diagnosis of septic peritonitis.