Complications during recovery from anaesthesia in the equine patient

Flaherty, D., Nolan, A. and Reid, J. (1996) Complications during recovery from anaesthesia in the equine patient. Equine Veterinary Education, 8(1), pp. 17-22. (doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3292.1996.tb01645.x)

Abstract

Despite great advances in veterinary anaesthesia in the past decade, anaesthetising the horse still carries a significantly higher risk of mortality than other domestic species. In 1990, Young and Taylor reported 1% mortality, and, more recently, the interim results of an ongoing enquij into perioperative equine fatalities (CEPEF) have indicated that the rate within 7 days of anaesthesia for noncolic cases is 0.8%, while that for colics approaches 8% (Johnston et al. 1995). Morbidity is likely to be even greater, although few published reports are available to clarify this (Young and Taylor 1993). Nevertheless, anecdotal evidence suggests that problems arising in the pen-anaesthetic period are common in the horse; and many of these become evident during the recovery phase, defined here as the first 24 h following the termination of anaesthesia. Many of these complications are related to intra-operative changes in respiratory and cardiovascular status peculiar to the anaesthetised equid, which can prove extremely refractory to treatment.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Nolan, Professor Andrea and Flaherty, Professor Derek and Reid, Professor Jacky
• Authors: Flaherty, D., Nolan, A., and Reid, J.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Equine Veterinary Education
• ISSN: 0957-7734
• ISSN (Online): 2042-3292