Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Low risk of vomiting and pneumonia after anesthesia in older dogs
By Moyer, Ashley L et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2021·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Low incidence of postoperative nausea, vomiting, regurgitation, and aspiration pneumonia in geriatric dogs receiving maropitant, famotidine, and fentanyl as part of an anesthesia protocol.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 105 older dogs undergoing major surgery were given a combination of medications, including maropitant and famotidine, to help prevent nausea and vomiting after anesthesia. After the procedures, only a few dogs experienced mild issues: 2 dogs regurgitated, 1 developed aspiration pneumonia, and 4 showed signs of nausea, but no dogs vomited. The results suggest that this medication protocol is effective in minimizing postoperative complications in geriatric dogs. Overall, the dogs recovered well with very few problems related to their surgery.
People also search for: dog surgery nausea prevention · geriatric dog anesthesia safety · maropitant for dogs after surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of and potential risk factors for postoperative regurgitation and vomiting (PORV), postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and aspiration pneumonia in geriatric dogs using premedication with maropitant and famotidine, intraoperative fentanyl, and postoperative fentanyl as part of an anesthetic protocol. ANIMALS: 105 client-owned geriatric dogs that underwent general anesthesia for a major surgical procedure between January 2019 and March 2020. PROCEDURES: Medical records were reviewed to collect data on signalment, historical gastrointestinal signs, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, indication for surgery, duration of anesthesia and surgery, patient position during surgery, mode of ventilation, and perioperative administration of maropitant, famotidine, anticholinergics, opioids, colloidal support, NSAID, corticosteroids, and appetite stimulants. The incidence of postoperative regurgitation, vomiting, nausea, and aspiration pneumonia was calculated, and variables were each analyzed for their association with these outcomes. RESULTS: 2 of 105 (1.9%) dogs regurgitated, 1 of 105 (1.0%) dogs developed aspiration pneumonia, 4 of 105 (3.8%) dogs exhibited nausea, and no dogs vomited. Identified possible risk factors included older age (≥ 13 years old) for postoperative regurgitation, regurgitation for postoperative aspiration pneumonia, and high ASA score (≥ 4) for both regurgitation and aspiration pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The use of an antiemetic protocol including maropitant, famotidine, and fentanyl in geriatric dogs resulted in very low incidences of PORV, PONV, and aspiration pneumonia. Future prospective studies are warranted to further evaluate and mitigate postoperative risks.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34914625/