Transtracheal Washes (TTW) and Endotracheal Washes (ETW) in Dogs | VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts

In this VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast,we will discuss transtracheal washes (TTW) and endotracheal washes (ETW) in dogs. Both types of tracheal washes (TW) offer clinicians an opportunity to sample the airways that avoids the required cost, equipment, or expertise of bronchoscopy. Cytology and bacterial culture of airway samples can provide essential diagnostic information, yet it is not always clear which type of TW should be recommended. Does one method provide superior results? Do patient variables or clinical suspicions influence which method to choose? Does ETW increase the risk of oral bacterial contamination? These are the types of questions that are commonly heard when discussing TW methods, and a better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of each method also help when interpreting results. For this reason, Graham et al wanted to evaluate this in a study entitled "Factors associated with clinical interpretation of tracheal wash fluid from dogs with respiratory disease: 281 cases (2012-2017)." In this study, the authors compared the cytology and culture results of ETW and TTW. They wanted to determine if diagnostic results were comparable between methods, and how often discrepancies were observed.