Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Gastro-oesophageal reflux during anaesthesia in the dog: the effect of age, positioning and type of surgical procedure.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 1995
- Authors:
- Galatos, A D & Raptopoulos, D
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Sciences
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In a study involving 270 dogs under anesthesia, researchers found that about 17% experienced gastro-oesophageal reflux, which is when stomach contents flow back into the esophagus. Most of these episodes happened shortly after the anesthesia began, and the stomach contents were usually acidic. Older dogs were more likely to have reflux, and those undergoing abdominal surgery had more episodes compared to dogs having other types of surgery. The position of the dog during surgery didn't seem to affect the likelihood of reflux. Overall, the findings suggest that while age and type of surgery play a role, the positioning during surgery does not impact the risk of reflux.
Abstract
Lower oesophageal pH was monitored in 270 dogs under anaesthesia. There were 47 episodes of gastro-oesophageal reflux (17.4 per cent), most of which occurred shortly after the induction of anaesthesia. The refluxate was usually acid (pH < 4.0), but in four of the episodes (8.5 per cent) it was alkaline (pH > 7.5). Gastric contents with a pH below 2.5 were refluxed on 27 occasions (10 per cent) for an average period of about 44 minutes. Regurgitation occurred in two of the dogs. Increased age seemed to be associated with an increased incidence of reflux and an increased gastric acidity. Body position (sternal, dorsal and left or right lateral) and the tilt of the body during surgery (horizontal or tilted to an 8 degrees head-up or head-down position) had no influence on the incidence of gastro-oesophageal reflux. Dogs undergoing intra-abdominal surgery had significantly more reflux episodes than dogs undergoing non-abdominal surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8588277/