GPT Complications Flashcards
(13 cards)
Why is continuous monitoring important during anaesthesia and what are the common complications?
- Continuous monitoring allows for early detection and prompt response to complications
- Common complications: insufficient depth, hypotension, hypertension, bradycardia, tachycardia, apnoea, hypoxaemia, hypothermia, bad or prolonged recovery
What are the signs, causes, and corrective actions for insufficient depth of anaesthesia?
- Signs: patient movement, increased respiratory rate
- Causes: low vaporiser setting, anaesthetic leaks, increased cardiac output, fading premedication
- Actions: adjust vaporiser and gas flow based on circuit type; give induction agent bolus if needed
Explain the causes and treatment strategies for hypotension during anaesthesia.
- Causes: vasodilation (due to drugs, histamine release, sepsis), hypovolaemia, decreased cardiac contractility, arrhythmias, bradycardia
- Treatment: initiate surgery to stimulate SNS, reduce inhalants, fluid boluses, vasopressors or inotropes as needed
How is hypovolaemia managed during anaesthesia, and how is blood loss estimated?
- Management: fluid boluses or blood products based on loss percentage
- Blood volume: Dog 80-90 ml/kg, Cat 60-70 ml/kg
- Estimation: suction volume, flush volume, swab weights
- Points: anesthetics blunt reflexes, anaesthetic needs decrease, immediate hematocrit unreliable
Describe how to differentiate hypotension due to decreased contractility versus hypovolaemia.
- Differentiation based on history, clinical exam, arterial waveform, and systolic/diastolic pressure values
What causes hypertension during anaesthesia and how should it be treated?
- Causes: light anaesthesia, pain, hypoxaemia, hypercapnia, acidosis, cardiovascular disease, severe hypoglycaemia
- Treatment: treat underlying cause, increase vaporiser, use beta-blockers or acepromazine if necessary
List the causes and treatment approach for bradycardia during anaesthesia.
- Causes: vagal stimulation, hypothermia, deep anaesthesia, hypertension, hyperkalaemia, hypoglycaemia, hypoxia, acidosis, opioid drugs
- Treatment: based on cause; intervene if cardiac output is compromised or arrhythmias occur
What are the causes and management of tachycardia during anaesthesia?
- Causes: light anaesthesia, pain, hypercapnia, hypoxia, hypotension, hyperthermia, hypokalaemia, hypoglycaemia, drugs
- Treatment: depends on cause; necessary if CO is compromised or arrhythmias are present
Discuss the causes and treatment of apnoea during anaesthesia.
- Causes: drugs, hypocapnia, pain, deep anaesthesia, cardiac arrest
- Treatment: manual or mechanical ventilation
How is hypoxaemia identified and treated during anaesthesia?
- Identified by SpO2 < 90% or PaO2 < 60mmHg (cyanosis is late sign)
- Causes: mechanical obstruction, faulty O2 delivery, cardiac/respiratory failure
- Treatment: address specific cause, ventilate, check and restore oxygen delivery
Explain mechanisms and consequences of hypothermia during anaesthesia.
- Mechanisms: CNS depression, vasodilation, heat loss via conduction, convection, evaporation, radiation
- Consequences: prolonged recovery, bradycardia, hypotension, drug accumulation, acidosis, arrhythmias, death below 30°C
What are the strategies to prevent and manage hypothermia in anaesthetised animals?
- Pre-warm during prep, reduce induction-to-surgery time
- Use warming devices (pads, lamps, blankets), rebreathing systems, low fresh gas flows, bubble wrap
- Monitor temperature, warm fluids, reduce acepromazine in vulnerable animals
What causes a bad or prolonged recovery from anaesthesia and how should it be managed?
- Bad recovery: due to premature lightening, inadequate analgesia, poor planning
- Management: propofol, analgesia, sedation (acepromazine, medetomidine)
- Prolonged recovery: hypothermia, drug accumulation, disease, hypercapnia, hypoxia, hypoglycaemia, haemorrhage
- Interventions: assess airway, oxygenation, cardiovascular status, temperature; monitor closely
