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Complications Of Anaesthesia (view source)
Revision as of 17:09, 19 April 2009
, 17:09, 19 April 2009no edit summary
==Cardiac Arrhytmias==
==Cardiac Arrhytmias==
Many of the anaesthetics commonly used are arrhythmogenic. Changes in cardiac rate and rhythm, therefore, are commonly seen.
Many of the anaesthetics commonly used are arrhythmogenic. Changes in cardiac rate and rhythm, therefore, are commonly seen.
==Cardiac Arrest==
There are a number of causes for cardiac arrest. It is detected via close monitoring of the patient and is when the heart fails to pump, meaning the heart beat is lost and so cardiac auscultation can be the most basic monitoring method to detect an animal in cardiac arrest. The ''ABC protocol'' should be started as soon as the patient enters cardiac arrest.
*A - Check that the '''Airway''' is patent.
*B - '''Breathing''' usually via intermittent positive pressure ventilation.
*C - '''Circulation''' usually involving chest compressions either external or internal.
Once the circulation has been recovered, then the risk of tissue hypoxia is reduced and other methods of treatment can be used to try and prevent further cardiac arrests or treat the underlying cause.
If the patient goes into fibrilation, the best treatment is passing an electrical current through the heart, usually performed using defibrillator. However, these are rarely available in practice, although their presence is increasing.
==Post Operative Myopathy==
One of the most important causes of postoperative deaths in horses, '''postoperative myopathy''' is commonly seen in well muscled horses. It is usually detected when the horse first tries to stand upon recovery but can take hours to develop. Clinical signs vary from mild lameness to the horse not being able to support its own weight. It is extremely painful. Efforts to prevent development of post operative myopathy include correct positioning and padding on the anaesthetic table. Treatment involves analgesia.