Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Gastroesophageal reflux and vomiting in dogs after anesthesia
By Torrente, Carlos et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2017·Hospital Clí·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of and risk factors for intraoperative gastroesophageal reflux and postanesthetic vomiting and diarrhea in dogs undergoing general anesthesia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that about one-third of dogs undergoing general anesthesia experienced gastrointestinal issues like vomiting and diarrhea afterward. Specifically, 17.3% had gastroesophageal reflux (GER), 5.5% vomited, and 10.5% had diarrhea. Factors such as the type of surgery, changes in body position, and the length of anesthesia increased the chances of these problems. Interestingly, dogs that received a medication called acepromazine before surgery were less likely to vomit. Overall, these issues are relatively common, and understanding the risks can help pet owners prepare for their dog's recovery after anesthesia.
People also search for: dog vomiting after surgery · gastroesophageal reflux in dogs · acepromazine for dogs before surgery · dog diarrhea after anesthesia
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of intraoperative gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and postanesthetic vomiting and diarrhea, and to evaluate risk factors associated with these gastrointestinal disorders (GID) in dogs undergoing general anesthesia. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Two hundred thirty-seven client-owned dogs undergoing general inhalant anesthesia for diagnostic or surgical purposes. INTERVENTIONS: None MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patient, surgical, and anesthetic variables, and postanesthetic treatments administered in the immediate postanesthesia period were evaluated in relation to GID using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis (P < 0.05). Seventy-nine of the 237 (33.4%) dogs developed GID during the perianesthetic period. The prevalences of GER, vomiting, and diarrhea were 17.3%, 5.5%, and 10.5%, respectively. Intraabdominal surgery (P = 0.016; odds ratio [OR] 2.82, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-6.62), changes in body position (P = 0.003; OR 3.17, 95% CI: 1.47-6.85), and length of anesthesia (P = 0.052; OR 1.006, 95% CI: 1.000-1.013) were associated with GER. Changes in the ventilation mode during surgery (P = 0.011; OR 6.54, 95% CI: 1.8-23.8), length of anesthesia (P = 0.024; OR 1.001, 95% CI: 1.001-1.020), and rescue synthetic colloid support due to hypotension (P = 0.005; OR 6.9, 95% CI: 1.82-26.3) were positively associated with postanesthetic vomiting. On the contrary, dogs that received acepromazine as premedication were significantly less likely (P < 0.019; OR 12.3, 95% CI: 1.52-100) to vomit. Finally, length of anesthesia, changes in body position, changes in ventilation mode, or hypoxemia during the procedure tended to increase the risk (univariate model) of diarrhea during the recovery phase. CONCLUSIONS: GID are common in dogs undergoing general anesthesia. Duration and characteristics of the procedure, anesthetic management, and changes in certain patient variables are significant risk factors for the presence of GID in the perioperative period.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28544250/