Dogs with disease in many locations in their bodies, dogs responding poorly to treatment, and dogs who have progressive disease in the face of medication, carry the most guarded prognoses. Many people think of a guarded prognosis as another way to say that the patient is in poor or serious condition. I always consider known prognostic factors when making recommendations about my patients' care. The last one I really have trouble with is the issue of “how many years do I have left?” I’ve been out of medical school for 16 years and I’m still baffled about how this prediction is made. Dogs with nasal tumors who experience nosebleeds have a significantly shorter survival time than dogs without nosebleeds (88 days vs. 224 days). But-- even if you *had* asked 100 salient questions, the outcome would be the same. I have met several intensive care unit personnel who have used the term, but they could not define it or tell me where the definition might be found. I would argue that a bleeding nose is a negative prognostic factor for a dog with a nasal tumor primarily because the nosebleed is perceived as producing a negative impact on the pet’s quality of life. Veterinary patients exist on an enormous spectrum of shapes and dimensions, therefore tumor size must be interpreted in light of patient size. A doctor may use this term when he or she is unsure if the patient will be able to recover. Many features may not work properly without it. They predict the likely course of the cancer, and ultimately, your pet's prognosis, or final outcome. They have a questionable outlook. When their quality of life declines, owners may consider euthanasia to end their suffering. Nothing anyone can say will take away this pain, but being new to this message board, so many comforting words have really helped me. When the pancreas … This type of patient usually will require critical care, or some other treatment in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU). It commonly appears in news releases, particularly those describing the medical condition of some currently hospitalized famous person. New and better treatments are helping people diagnosed with breast cancer live longer than ever before. My patients are more than a simple set of descriptive values or categorical characteristics. My instructor wasn't there and the unit was busy so it wasn't a good time to ask the nurses. Prognostic factors could help estimate a patient’s survival time, chance of success with a particular treatment plan, or risk for recurrence of disease following surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. guarded. For example, immunophenotype is a prognostic factor for dogs with lymphoma. Sweetmeli, I hope you are finding peace. I'm unable to discuss what happened in real life, so being able to sob and type at the same time is an easier sense of release. Hi all, wondering if anyone could tell me what it means to have a guarded prognosis? Metacafe,  Understanding Veterinary Lingo: What is a 'Prognostic Factor'? I think a "very guarded" prognosis means it's likely pretty bad, but not impossible for it to be ok. Save as Favorite. The nosebleed also negatively impacts the owner’s lifestyle, as these events can be dramatic, messy, and difficult to manage. If your URL is correct, you'll see an image preview here. Your prognosis is your outlook or your chance of recovery from breast cancer. Yet clinically, my observations tell me this is untrue. Many dogs will improve following oral anti-fungal medication. I’m also humble enough to remember that every animal is a uniquely created organism with unpredictable responses and outcomes, and that treating the individual is far more important than treatments based solely on statistics and probabilities. But even those who do have medical training can go numb, our minds stop working in those first minutes. Leer esta página en español. Prognostic factors could help estimate a patient’s survival time, chance of success with a particular treatment plan, or risk for recurrence of disease following surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. Note: Your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. I still explain to owners of dogs with nasal tumors and nosebleeds that research tells me their dog’s expected lifespan is about three months. Does this mean I offer the same prognosis for a tiny Chihuahua as I would for a Great Dane if both were diagnosed with a 2cm oral melanoma tumor? I know it is tough to second-guess the decisions because I too have done this. We’ll use the term stable somewhat frequently, especially with individual disease states, but try to avoid pigeonholing patients into grave, critical and serious. Cat Nutrition: What Makes a Nutritional Cat Food? At first glance, one might assume dogs with nosebleeds have more aggressive tumors, or are sicker from their disease. Large images may take a few minutes to appear. Prognostic factors have value, but they certainly aren’t the bottom line. Good Luck. Prognostic factors are characteristics possessed by a patient, its tumor, or both. Many dogs will improve following oral anti-fungal medication. I am so sorry for your loss of Emily, and hate to see people go through the guilt and questioning of what they did. YouTube,  Supported videos include: Much weight is given to the statistical significance of prognostic factors and they largely influence meaningful medical decisions, including those related to life and death. Some owners will therefore base their decision to pursue treatment based solely on the result of the phenotype testing. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. The chances for improvement are small. Most studies investigating various cancers in pets include an analysis of specific prognostic factors in some capacity. However, I am clear that most of those dogs are euthanized because of the physical issues caused by the nosebleed itself, rather than because of outward signs of pain, illness, or other concerns. A particular characteristic determined to be a statistically significant prognostic factor in one study can be refuted with additional study. Posted on 08/01/2021 by 08/01/2021 by The vet at the animal hospital told me it was "hemangiosarcoma"......I didn't even ask, I knew it was cancer. Prognostic factors are designed to help owners and veterinary oncologists decide on the need for additional testing, potential treatment options, and also to provide a realistic expectation of outcome. As another example, data tells me the tumor size is a prognostic factor for dogs with oral melanoma, with differences in outcome for dogs with tumors less than 2cm, those with tumors between 2-4cm, and those with tumors >4cm. People tend to be guarded in certain situations — when they're being criticized, or are at a party where they don't know a single person. I made the decision to put him down right then and there. Remember: Using others' images on the web without their permission may be bad manners, or worse, copyright infringement. Oh, you probably *didn't* ask every possible question right after they dropped that bombshell into your life. What Does Prognosis Mean? If you have a question or comment on the article above the please feel free to leave us a reply below. Thanks guys. I hope you can take some solice in the fact that so many people are feeling the way you are at this exact moment, and we all want to remember our loved ones together. “critical” means that their injuries are so severe, they could die at any moment. Vimeo,  Logically, we can make sense of the concept that the larger a tumor is, the more impacting it would be for the pet. I think a "very guarded" prognosis means it's likely pretty bad, but not impossible for it to be ok. My understanding is that they can't definitively diagnose hemangiosarcoma without removing the spleen & tumor and doing the pathology. He was only 8 and a boxer mix. No owner wants to hear these words because they are usually followed by “Should we continue treatment?” I hope you are not in this situation now but you will need to consider quality of life, expense, and the odds. It's normal for a new rescue dog to be guarded when you first bring her home. Feeding Kittens 101: What to Feed, How Much, and How Often. I went to the hospital today to collect my pt assignment/information for clinical tomorrow and I read in the doctor's notes that the pt's "prognosis is guarded." prognosis would be poor, guarded or grave to meet this definition): (1) have a behavioral or temperamental characteristic that poses a health or safety risk or otherwise makes the animal unsuitable for placement as a pet, and are not likely to become The cobblestone type of rectal tumor is a wide-ba… Source(s): vet tech for 10 years. I have witnessed many animals survive much longer than many have predicted. My Ray was put down just last Wednesday. A triple bypass is more serious than a double, and a quadruple is near death. A Guarded Prognosis. It is unknown whether the dog will or will not survive. Dailymotion,  Easily create a Forum Website with Website Toolbox. There are many new medications and technologies today. In an ICU/CCU, it means (not always) that they could be on a ventilator, dialysis machine, bypass machine, or any number of machines to keep them alive. If your dog is diagnosed with lung cancer due to an immediate respiratory crisis as a result of the cancer, their prognosis is poor. Dogs with severe pancreatitis, including frequent, acute attacks, have a guarded prognosis. Prognostic factors are designed to help owners and veterinary oncologists decide on … They predict the likely course of the cancer, and ultimately, your pet's prognosis, or final outcome. Guarded prognosis, serious condition mean the same. Sometimes you need someone else to be the voice of reason. Acronyms. I urge owners to keep this in mind when considering pursuing treatment for their pet with cancer. I'm so sorry for your loss. Uncategorized what does guarded prognosis mean. Guarded prognosis means there is a small chance that your cat may be cured or live. Logic dictates that although tumor size would be important, so would the size of the mouth hosting the tumor. If a dog is experiencing any serious respiratory symptoms or decline in their health, this is often a sign that the cancer is severe or it … When a patient has a guarded prognosis, he or she has an acute illness. I think I am going through the denial phase of the grieving process. Facebook. When we focus too much on specific prognostic factors, we lose sight of the bigger picture. He didn't have a snowball's chance in hell. Most of us are 1) in total shock and terror when we hear that, and 2) most of us don't have medical expertise. Unfortunately, many times prognostic factors fail to provide clinically relevant information. His ultrasound showed tumors in his lungs, heart, liver and spleen. I have yet to meet a physician or nurse who knew what the term “guarded condition” meant. They have a questionable outlook. For example, age was shown to be a prognostic factor for dogs with osteosarcoma in one research study, but had no impact on survival in another. This is one of the most severe and life-threatening of the fungal diseases, and the prognosis for your dog is guarded to grave. However, relapses are seen often, especially if therapy is not followed through to completion or is shortened.
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