Field anaesthesia Flashcards
Should a horse be starved before a GA?
Ideally yes
No concentrates/grains for 24 hours
No roughage for 12 hours
Reduced pressure on diaphragm if stomach contents empty
What are atropine and glycopyrrlate used as emergency drugs for?
Treating bradycardia
What is epinephrine/adrenaline used as an emergency drug for?
Cardiac arrest
What is glycopyrrolate used for? What type of drug is it?
Anticholinergic
Used for excess secretions (stomach acid, respiratory secretions)
Or bradycardia emergency treatment
A needle shy horse needs sedating. What can be given to sedate it?
ACP - oral gel
Detomidine - sublingual gel
Why can pethidine only be given IM?
Risk of histamine release if given IV
When administering ketamine and a benzodiazepine for induction, which should be given first and why?
Ketamine
Benzodiazepines cause excitation
How is general anaesthesia. maintained in the field?
Total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA)
Either boluses/top ups of ketamine
Or continuous infusion of triple drip
How does TIVA differ to volatile anaesthesia in terms of reflexes?
TIVA preserves reflexes
As TIVA preserves reflexes, how is depth of anaesthesia assessed?
Increased RR and depth Nystagmus Lacrimaton Increased muscle tone Spontaneous movement
What drugs are used for the triple drip?
Ketamine
Guaifenesin (GGE)
Alpha-2 agonist
How often should bolus top ups be given for field anaesthesia?
Every 15 minutes
Using boluses for field anaesthesia should be limited to procedures that last how long?
30-40 minutes maximum
Detomidine is contraindicated when using which IV antibiotic and why?
TMPS
IV TMPS and detomidine can cause fatal arrhythmias
Why should the head collar always be removed before GA?
Can cause facial nerve damage and paralysis
