Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lower pneumonia risk in dogs after anesthesia changes for radiation
By Baetge, Courtney et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2019·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Reduced risk of pneumonia after changes in anesthetic procedures for dogs receiving repeated anesthesia for radiation treatment.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs undergoing radiation therapy was found to have a significantly lower risk of developing pneumonia after changes were made to their anesthetic procedures. These changes included adjustments in medication use, positioning during anesthesia, and improved handling of equipment. Before these updates, dogs had a much higher chance of pneumonia, especially those with certain health issues like neurologic tumors or respiratory disease. After implementing the new protocols, the risk of pneumonia dropped dramatically, making the anesthesia process safer for these pets.
People also search for: dog pneumonia after anesthesia · radiation therapy for dogs · anesthesia safety in dogs
Abstract
Radiation therapy requires repeated anesthetic administration to patients who often have multiple comorbidities contributing to an increased rate of anesthetic complications such as pneumonia. This is a retrospective observational study in which data were collected from 146 medical records of dogs receiving repeat anesthesia for radiation treatment from prior to management changes and compared to data from 149 cases treated after completion of management changes. The objective was to determine if changes in case management protocol that were put in place decreased the risk of pneumonia development among these patients. Management changes that were made included the following: decrease in anticholinergic and pure-mu opioid use, change in positioning during intubation and recovery, prophylactic treatment of nausea, timing of cuff inflation and deflation, and aseptic handling of intubation equipment. There was a significant association between diagnosis of pneumonia and the following: pre- vs. post-changes to protocol, presence of a neurologic tumor, presence of respiratory disease, presence of megaesophagus, and number of radiation fractions completed. Diagnosis of pneumonia did not vary significantly by age group, body weight category, or sex. In a multivariable logistic regression model that controlled for the effects of the three concurrent diseases and fractions completed, the odds of being diagnosed with pneumonia were approximately 10 times greater among dogs anesthetized prior to management changes (odds ratio = 9.9, 95% CI = 2.0-48.7, P = 0.005).
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30375098/