M. Paula Larenza Menzies | University of Melbourne (original) (raw)

Papers by M. Paula Larenza Menzies

Veterinary Record Case Reports, 2016

A nine-year-old female Yorkshire Terrier weighing 5.8 kg required anaesthesia for a bilateral pha... more A nine-year-old female Yorkshire Terrier weighing 5.8 kg required anaesthesia for a bilateral phacoemulsification to treat diabetic cataracts. Perioperatively, rocuronium bromide was administered intravenously to achieve centralisation of the eye. Immediately after injection of the rocuronium, the dog developed tachycardia, hypertension and bronchospasm. At this time, no association between the rocuronium and the adverse reaction was made due to the lack of reports of such an event in dogs. A second dose was therefore administered once the animal's spontaneous efforts to breathe indicated partial loss of neuromuscular blockade, this time without adverse effects. However, a third dose of rocuronium resulted in similar signs as the first injection, suggesting an association between the rocuronium and the observed reaction. The signs resolved spontaneously and the dog recovered uneventfully in the intensive care unit from where it was discharged 48 hours after the surgery.

The Canadian Veterinary Journal La Revue Veterinaire Canadienne, Oct 1, 2010

Instead of a conventional double lumen tube, an Arndt wire-guided endobronchial blocker was used ... more Instead of a conventional double lumen tube, an Arndt wire-guided endobronchial blocker was used to achieve one-lung ventilation in a dog undergoing thoracoscopic pericardiectomy. Overall, lung separation was easy to perform and surgical conditions for the creation of a pericardial window were adequate. Special ventilation strategies were applied.

Electrophoresis

Ketamine and norketamine are being transported across the blood brain barrier and are also enteri... more Ketamine and norketamine are being transported across the blood brain barrier and are also entering from blood into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Enantioselective distributions of these compounds in brain and CSF have never been determined. The enantioselective capillary electrophoresis-based assay previously developed for equine plasma was adapted to the analysis of these compounds in equine brain via use of an acidic preextraction of interferences prior to liquid/liquid extraction at alkaline pH. CSF can be treated as plasma. With 100 mg of brain tissue and 0.5 mL of CSF or plasma, assay conditions for up to 30 nmol/g and 6 μM, respectively, of each enantiomer with LOQ's of 0.5 nmol/g and 0.1 μM, respectively, were established and the assays were applied to equine samples. CSF and plasma samples analyzed stemmed from anesthetized patient horses and brain, CSF and plasma was obtained from anesthetized horses that were euthanized with an overdose of pentobarbital. Data obtained ind...

Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 2014

To determine the incidence of canine post-anesthetic aspiration pneumonia (AP) and to identify an... more To determine the incidence of canine post-anesthetic aspiration pneumonia (AP) and to identify anesthetic agents, procedures and management factors associated with the development of AP. Multicenter, randomized, case-controlled retrospective study. Two hundred and forty dogs affected with AP and 488 unaffected control dogs. Electronic medical record databases at six Veterinary colleges were searched for dogs, coded for anesthesia or sedation and pneumonia from January 1999 to December 2009. The resultant 2158 records were hand-searched to determine eligibility for inclusion. Diagnosis of AP was made radiographically. Two unaffected control dogs were randomly selected for each affected dog, from a list of dogs that underwent sedation or anesthesia in the same time period and did not develop aspiration pneumonia. Fifty-seven factors were then evaluated for association with aspiration pneumonia. Data analysis was performed using univariate Chi-square or student t-tests, then multivariate logistic regression. Incidence of post-anesthetic AP was 0.17%, from 140,711 cases anesthetized or sedated over the 10 year period. Two anesthesia-related events were significantly associated with development of AP: regurgitation and administration of hydromorphone at induction. Administration of anticholinergics was not associated with AP. Procedures associated with increased odds of aspiration pneumonia included laparotomy, upper airway surgery, neurosurgery, thoracotomy and endoscopy. Orthopedic surgery, ophthalmologic surgery, dental procedures, MRI, CT, bronchoscopy, cystoscopy, tracheoscopy and neutering were not associated with development of AP. Three patient factors were associated with the development of AP: megaesophagus, and a history of pre-existing respiratory or neurologic disease. Sixty-nine% of dogs with two or more of the above independent predictive variables developed AP. Most anesthetic agents and procedures were not associated with the development of AP. We need to devise and evaluate strategies to protect at risk patients.

Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 2009

Objective To measure the extradural pressures in goats before and after extradural injection, and... more Objective To measure the extradural pressures in goats before and after extradural injection, and to investigate the occurrence of extradural pressure waves. Study design Prospective experimental trial. Animals Nine healthy adult goats weighing 59.4 ± 6.4 kg, scheduled for stifle arthroscopy. Methods The goats were pre-medicated with midazolam and anaesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with sevoflurane. The goats were placed in lateral recumbency and extradural puncture was performed via the lumbosacral space. Correct placement of the needle was assessed by lack of resistance to the injection of saline. The needle was connected to an electronic pressure transducer to record extradural pressure. Measurements were taken before and after extradural injection of methadone (0.1 mg kg)1 , diluted to a total volume of 0.2 mL kg)1) and 10 minutes later. Contrast medium was injected and correct extradural needle placement confirmed by radiography. Results Lack of resistance to injection of saline occurred in all goats, but there were no pressure waves observed before injection in any animal. Radiography indicated incorrect needle placement in four animals and one had pressure waves synchronous with the arterial pulse after methadone injection. Correct needle placement was confirmed in the remaining five animals which exhibited pressure waves after extradural methadone injection. In the five goats with successful needle placement the baseline extradural pressure ranged from 0.4 to 2.5 kPa (3-19 mmHg), increasing to 4.4-39.9 kPa (33-300 mmHg) after injection. Ten minutes after injection, extradural pressure remained elevated and ranged from 2.5 to 17.3 kPa (19-130 mmHg). Conclusions and clinical relevance Extradural pressure waves were not useful to confirm correct extradural needle placement in laterally recumbent goats. The presence of such waves after injection of 0.2 mL kg)1 may be indicative of correct placement but even here we saw one of nine animals with extradural pressure waves where we failed to confirm correct needle placement. Extradural pressure increases after extradural injection.

Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 2014

To evaluate the effects of the co-administration of midazolam on the dose requirement for propofo... more To evaluate the effects of the co-administration of midazolam on the dose requirement for propofol anesthesia induction, heart rate (HR), systolic arterial pressure (SAP) and the incidence of excitement. Prospective, randomized, controlled and blinded clinical study, with owner consent. Seventeen healthy, client owned dogs weighing 28 ± 18 kg and aged 4.9 ± 3.9 years old. Dogs were sedated with acepromazine 0.025 mg kg(-1) and morphine 0.25 mg kg(-1) intramuscularly (IM), 30 minutes prior to induction of anesthesia. Patients were randomly allocated to receive midazolam (MP; 0.2 mg kg(-1) ) or sterile normal saline (CP; 0.04 mL kg(-1) ) intravenously (IV) over 15 seconds. Propofol was administered IV immediately following test drug and delivered at 3 mg kg(-1) minute(-1) until intubation was possible. Scoring of pre-induction sedation, ease of intubation, quality of induction, and presence or absence of excitement following co-induction agent, was recorded. HR, SAP and respiratory rate (fR ) were obtained immediately prior to, immediately following, and 5 minutes following induction of anesthesia. There were no significant differences between groups with regard to weight, age, gender, or sedation. Excitement occurred in 5/9 dogs following midazolam administration, with none noted in the control group. The dose of propofol administered to the midazolam group was significantly less than in the control group. Differences in HR were not significant between groups. SAP was significantly lower in the midazolam group compared with baseline values 5 minutes after its administration. However, values remained clinically acceptable. The co-administration of midazolam with propofol decreased the total dose of propofol needed for induction of anesthesia in sedated healthy dogs, caused some excitement and a clinically unimportant decrease in SAP.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2012

To compare analgesic efficacy of preoperative epidural anesthesia with efficacy of femoral and sc... more To compare analgesic efficacy of preoperative epidural anesthesia with efficacy of femoral and sciatic nerve blockade in dogs undergoing hind limb orthopedic surgery. Prospective randomized blinded clinical study. 22 dogs requiring stifle joint surgery. Dogs were premedicated with acepromazine and morphine, and anesthesia was induced with diazepam and propofol and maintained with sevoflurane in oxygen. Prior to surgery, a combination of 1.0% lidocaine solution with 0.25% bupivacaine solution was administered either into the lumbosacral epidural space (11 dogs) or perineurally along the femoral and sciatic nerves (11). Intraoperative nociception was assumed if heart rate or systolic blood pressure increased by > 10% from baseline, in which case fentanyl (2 μg/kg [0.9 μg/lb], IV) was administered as rescue analgesia. Following recovery from anesthesia, signs of postoperative pain were assessed every 30 minutes for 360 minutes from the time of local anesthetic administration via the modified Glasgow pain scale. Patients with scores > 5 (scale, 0 to 20) received hydromorphone (0.1 mg/kg [0.05 mg/lb], IV) as rescue analgesia and were then withdrawn from further pain scoring. Treatment groups did not differ significantly in the number fentanyl boluses administered for intraoperative rescue analgesia. Time to administration of first postoperative rescue analgesia was comparable between groups. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between groups in baseline pain scores, nor were there significant differences at any other point during the postoperative period. Femoral and sciatic nerve blocks provided intraoperative antinociception and postoperative analgesia similar to epidural anesthesia in dogs undergoing stifle joint surgery.

Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound, 2009

Using cadaveric dogs, we established the ultrasonographic landmarks for performing paravertebral ... more Using cadaveric dogs, we established the ultrasonographic landmarks for performing paravertebral injections around the brachial plexus nerve roots in the dog, and assessed the accuracy and regional spread of the aliquots. A mixture of methylene blue dye and an iodinated contrast medium was used as the injectate. A 0.3 ml volume was used to assess accuracy and a 3.0 ml volume was used to assess regional spread. Accuracy and regional spread were assessed from computed tomography (CT) images acquired after injection by measuring the distance from each foramen to the nearest edge of contrast medium, and the dimensions of spread of contrast medium in each anatomic plane, respectively. The mean distance of small volume injections from each foramen was 0.9 cm (standard deviation [SD] 0.56 cm). The mean spread of contrast medium for the small volume injections measured 1.7 cm (SD 0.6 cm) cranial-to-caudal, 1.2 cm (SD 0.4 cm) dorsal-to-ventral and 7.4 cm (SD 0.4 cm) medial-to-lateral. The mean spread of contrast medium for the combined three large volume injections measured 7.4 cm (SD 1.7 cm) cranial-to-caudal, 3.1 cm (SD 0.8 cm) medial-to-lateral, and 2.8 cm (SD 0.5 cm) dorsal-to-ventral. After the CT studies, staining of each nerve root and any other regional structure was assessed grossly. Based on our results, ultrasound can be used to guide injections around the nerve roots of the brachial plexus in dogs.

Veterinary …, 2008

Methods Ponies received either 0.6 mg kg −1 racemic ketamine (group RS) or 0.3 mg kg −1 S-ketamin... more Methods Ponies received either 0.6 mg kg −1 racemic ketamine (group RS) or 0.3 mg kg −1 S-ketamine (group S) intravenously (IV), followed by a CRI of 20 μg kg −1 minute −1 racemic ketamine (group RS) or 10 μg kg −1 minute −1 S-ketamine (group S) for 59 minutes. The ...

Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde, 2008

The purpose of this study was to evaluate if pre-anaesthetic thoracic radiographs contribute to t... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate if pre-anaesthetic thoracic radiographs contribute to the anaesthetic management of trauma patients by comparing American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification (ASA grade) with and without information from thoracic radiography findings. Case records of 157 dogs and cats being anaesthetized with or without post-traumatic, pre-anaesthetic chest radiographs were retrospectively evaluated for clinical parameters, radiographic abnormalities and anaesthetic protocol. Animals were retrospectively assigned an ASA grade. ASA grades, clinical signs of respiratory abnormalities and anaesthesia protocols were compared between animals with and without chest radiographs. The group of animals without pre-anaesthetic radiographs was anaesthetized earlier after trauma and showed less respiratory abnormalities at presentation. The retrospectively evaluated ASA grade significantly increased with the information from thoracic radiography. Animals with a higher ASA grade were less frequently mechanically ventilated. Pre-anaesthetic radiographs may provide important information to assess the ASA grade in traumatized patients and may therefore influence the anesthesia protocol.

Pediatric Anesthesia, 2011

Veterinary Record Case Reports, 2016

A nine-year-old female Yorkshire Terrier weighing 5.8 kg required anaesthesia for a bilateral pha... more A nine-year-old female Yorkshire Terrier weighing 5.8 kg required anaesthesia for a bilateral phacoemulsification to treat diabetic cataracts. Perioperatively, rocuronium bromide was administered intravenously to achieve centralisation of the eye. Immediately after injection of the rocuronium, the dog developed tachycardia, hypertension and bronchospasm. At this time, no association between the rocuronium and the adverse reaction was made due to the lack of reports of such an event in dogs. A second dose was therefore administered once the animal's spontaneous efforts to breathe indicated partial loss of neuromuscular blockade, this time without adverse effects. However, a third dose of rocuronium resulted in similar signs as the first injection, suggesting an association between the rocuronium and the observed reaction. The signs resolved spontaneously and the dog recovered uneventfully in the intensive care unit from where it was discharged 48 hours after the surgery.

The Canadian Veterinary Journal La Revue Veterinaire Canadienne, Oct 1, 2010

Instead of a conventional double lumen tube, an Arndt wire-guided endobronchial blocker was used ... more Instead of a conventional double lumen tube, an Arndt wire-guided endobronchial blocker was used to achieve one-lung ventilation in a dog undergoing thoracoscopic pericardiectomy. Overall, lung separation was easy to perform and surgical conditions for the creation of a pericardial window were adequate. Special ventilation strategies were applied.

Electrophoresis

Ketamine and norketamine are being transported across the blood brain barrier and are also enteri... more Ketamine and norketamine are being transported across the blood brain barrier and are also entering from blood into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Enantioselective distributions of these compounds in brain and CSF have never been determined. The enantioselective capillary electrophoresis-based assay previously developed for equine plasma was adapted to the analysis of these compounds in equine brain via use of an acidic preextraction of interferences prior to liquid/liquid extraction at alkaline pH. CSF can be treated as plasma. With 100 mg of brain tissue and 0.5 mL of CSF or plasma, assay conditions for up to 30 nmol/g and 6 μM, respectively, of each enantiomer with LOQ's of 0.5 nmol/g and 0.1 μM, respectively, were established and the assays were applied to equine samples. CSF and plasma samples analyzed stemmed from anesthetized patient horses and brain, CSF and plasma was obtained from anesthetized horses that were euthanized with an overdose of pentobarbital. Data obtained ind...

Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 2014

To determine the incidence of canine post-anesthetic aspiration pneumonia (AP) and to identify an... more To determine the incidence of canine post-anesthetic aspiration pneumonia (AP) and to identify anesthetic agents, procedures and management factors associated with the development of AP. Multicenter, randomized, case-controlled retrospective study. Two hundred and forty dogs affected with AP and 488 unaffected control dogs. Electronic medical record databases at six Veterinary colleges were searched for dogs, coded for anesthesia or sedation and pneumonia from January 1999 to December 2009. The resultant 2158 records were hand-searched to determine eligibility for inclusion. Diagnosis of AP was made radiographically. Two unaffected control dogs were randomly selected for each affected dog, from a list of dogs that underwent sedation or anesthesia in the same time period and did not develop aspiration pneumonia. Fifty-seven factors were then evaluated for association with aspiration pneumonia. Data analysis was performed using univariate Chi-square or student t-tests, then multivariate logistic regression. Incidence of post-anesthetic AP was 0.17%, from 140,711 cases anesthetized or sedated over the 10 year period. Two anesthesia-related events were significantly associated with development of AP: regurgitation and administration of hydromorphone at induction. Administration of anticholinergics was not associated with AP. Procedures associated with increased odds of aspiration pneumonia included laparotomy, upper airway surgery, neurosurgery, thoracotomy and endoscopy. Orthopedic surgery, ophthalmologic surgery, dental procedures, MRI, CT, bronchoscopy, cystoscopy, tracheoscopy and neutering were not associated with development of AP. Three patient factors were associated with the development of AP: megaesophagus, and a history of pre-existing respiratory or neurologic disease. Sixty-nine% of dogs with two or more of the above independent predictive variables developed AP. Most anesthetic agents and procedures were not associated with the development of AP. We need to devise and evaluate strategies to protect at risk patients.

Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 2009

Objective To measure the extradural pressures in goats before and after extradural injection, and... more Objective To measure the extradural pressures in goats before and after extradural injection, and to investigate the occurrence of extradural pressure waves. Study design Prospective experimental trial. Animals Nine healthy adult goats weighing 59.4 ± 6.4 kg, scheduled for stifle arthroscopy. Methods The goats were pre-medicated with midazolam and anaesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with sevoflurane. The goats were placed in lateral recumbency and extradural puncture was performed via the lumbosacral space. Correct placement of the needle was assessed by lack of resistance to the injection of saline. The needle was connected to an electronic pressure transducer to record extradural pressure. Measurements were taken before and after extradural injection of methadone (0.1 mg kg)1 , diluted to a total volume of 0.2 mL kg)1) and 10 minutes later. Contrast medium was injected and correct extradural needle placement confirmed by radiography. Results Lack of resistance to injection of saline occurred in all goats, but there were no pressure waves observed before injection in any animal. Radiography indicated incorrect needle placement in four animals and one had pressure waves synchronous with the arterial pulse after methadone injection. Correct needle placement was confirmed in the remaining five animals which exhibited pressure waves after extradural methadone injection. In the five goats with successful needle placement the baseline extradural pressure ranged from 0.4 to 2.5 kPa (3-19 mmHg), increasing to 4.4-39.9 kPa (33-300 mmHg) after injection. Ten minutes after injection, extradural pressure remained elevated and ranged from 2.5 to 17.3 kPa (19-130 mmHg). Conclusions and clinical relevance Extradural pressure waves were not useful to confirm correct extradural needle placement in laterally recumbent goats. The presence of such waves after injection of 0.2 mL kg)1 may be indicative of correct placement but even here we saw one of nine animals with extradural pressure waves where we failed to confirm correct needle placement. Extradural pressure increases after extradural injection.

Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 2014

To evaluate the effects of the co-administration of midazolam on the dose requirement for propofo... more To evaluate the effects of the co-administration of midazolam on the dose requirement for propofol anesthesia induction, heart rate (HR), systolic arterial pressure (SAP) and the incidence of excitement. Prospective, randomized, controlled and blinded clinical study, with owner consent. Seventeen healthy, client owned dogs weighing 28 ± 18 kg and aged 4.9 ± 3.9 years old. Dogs were sedated with acepromazine 0.025 mg kg(-1) and morphine 0.25 mg kg(-1) intramuscularly (IM), 30 minutes prior to induction of anesthesia. Patients were randomly allocated to receive midazolam (MP; 0.2 mg kg(-1) ) or sterile normal saline (CP; 0.04 mL kg(-1) ) intravenously (IV) over 15 seconds. Propofol was administered IV immediately following test drug and delivered at 3 mg kg(-1) minute(-1) until intubation was possible. Scoring of pre-induction sedation, ease of intubation, quality of induction, and presence or absence of excitement following co-induction agent, was recorded. HR, SAP and respiratory rate (fR ) were obtained immediately prior to, immediately following, and 5 minutes following induction of anesthesia. There were no significant differences between groups with regard to weight, age, gender, or sedation. Excitement occurred in 5/9 dogs following midazolam administration, with none noted in the control group. The dose of propofol administered to the midazolam group was significantly less than in the control group. Differences in HR were not significant between groups. SAP was significantly lower in the midazolam group compared with baseline values 5 minutes after its administration. However, values remained clinically acceptable. The co-administration of midazolam with propofol decreased the total dose of propofol needed for induction of anesthesia in sedated healthy dogs, caused some excitement and a clinically unimportant decrease in SAP.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2012

To compare analgesic efficacy of preoperative epidural anesthesia with efficacy of femoral and sc... more To compare analgesic efficacy of preoperative epidural anesthesia with efficacy of femoral and sciatic nerve blockade in dogs undergoing hind limb orthopedic surgery. Prospective randomized blinded clinical study. 22 dogs requiring stifle joint surgery. Dogs were premedicated with acepromazine and morphine, and anesthesia was induced with diazepam and propofol and maintained with sevoflurane in oxygen. Prior to surgery, a combination of 1.0% lidocaine solution with 0.25% bupivacaine solution was administered either into the lumbosacral epidural space (11 dogs) or perineurally along the femoral and sciatic nerves (11). Intraoperative nociception was assumed if heart rate or systolic blood pressure increased by > 10% from baseline, in which case fentanyl (2 μg/kg [0.9 μg/lb], IV) was administered as rescue analgesia. Following recovery from anesthesia, signs of postoperative pain were assessed every 30 minutes for 360 minutes from the time of local anesthetic administration via the modified Glasgow pain scale. Patients with scores > 5 (scale, 0 to 20) received hydromorphone (0.1 mg/kg [0.05 mg/lb], IV) as rescue analgesia and were then withdrawn from further pain scoring. Treatment groups did not differ significantly in the number fentanyl boluses administered for intraoperative rescue analgesia. Time to administration of first postoperative rescue analgesia was comparable between groups. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between groups in baseline pain scores, nor were there significant differences at any other point during the postoperative period. Femoral and sciatic nerve blocks provided intraoperative antinociception and postoperative analgesia similar to epidural anesthesia in dogs undergoing stifle joint surgery.

Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound, 2009

Using cadaveric dogs, we established the ultrasonographic landmarks for performing paravertebral ... more Using cadaveric dogs, we established the ultrasonographic landmarks for performing paravertebral injections around the brachial plexus nerve roots in the dog, and assessed the accuracy and regional spread of the aliquots. A mixture of methylene blue dye and an iodinated contrast medium was used as the injectate. A 0.3 ml volume was used to assess accuracy and a 3.0 ml volume was used to assess regional spread. Accuracy and regional spread were assessed from computed tomography (CT) images acquired after injection by measuring the distance from each foramen to the nearest edge of contrast medium, and the dimensions of spread of contrast medium in each anatomic plane, respectively. The mean distance of small volume injections from each foramen was 0.9 cm (standard deviation [SD] 0.56 cm). The mean spread of contrast medium for the small volume injections measured 1.7 cm (SD 0.6 cm) cranial-to-caudal, 1.2 cm (SD 0.4 cm) dorsal-to-ventral and 7.4 cm (SD 0.4 cm) medial-to-lateral. The mean spread of contrast medium for the combined three large volume injections measured 7.4 cm (SD 1.7 cm) cranial-to-caudal, 3.1 cm (SD 0.8 cm) medial-to-lateral, and 2.8 cm (SD 0.5 cm) dorsal-to-ventral. After the CT studies, staining of each nerve root and any other regional structure was assessed grossly. Based on our results, ultrasound can be used to guide injections around the nerve roots of the brachial plexus in dogs.

Veterinary …, 2008

Methods Ponies received either 0.6 mg kg −1 racemic ketamine (group RS) or 0.3 mg kg −1 S-ketamin... more Methods Ponies received either 0.6 mg kg −1 racemic ketamine (group RS) or 0.3 mg kg −1 S-ketamine (group S) intravenously (IV), followed by a CRI of 20 μg kg −1 minute −1 racemic ketamine (group RS) or 10 μg kg −1 minute −1 S-ketamine (group S) for 59 minutes. The ...

Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde, 2008

The purpose of this study was to evaluate if pre-anaesthetic thoracic radiographs contribute to t... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate if pre-anaesthetic thoracic radiographs contribute to the anaesthetic management of trauma patients by comparing American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification (ASA grade) with and without information from thoracic radiography findings. Case records of 157 dogs and cats being anaesthetized with or without post-traumatic, pre-anaesthetic chest radiographs were retrospectively evaluated for clinical parameters, radiographic abnormalities and anaesthetic protocol. Animals were retrospectively assigned an ASA grade. ASA grades, clinical signs of respiratory abnormalities and anaesthesia protocols were compared between animals with and without chest radiographs. The group of animals without pre-anaesthetic radiographs was anaesthetized earlier after trauma and showed less respiratory abnormalities at presentation. The retrospectively evaluated ASA grade significantly increased with the information from thoracic radiography. Animals with a higher ASA grade were less frequently mechanically ventilated. Pre-anaesthetic radiographs may provide important information to assess the ASA grade in traumatized patients and may therefore influence the anesthesia protocol.

Pediatric Anesthesia, 2011