Course Description
Clinical training in small animal anesthesiology. Students will examine, evaluate, and provide anesthesia and analgesia for clinical patients. Practical skills and knowledge of problem-solving techniques will be emphasized.
Athena Title
Small Animal Clinical Anesthes
Non-Traditional Format
Senior clinical rotation where 2 hours in clinic equals 1 contact (40 hours per week divided by 2 equals 20 contacts per week or 1.3 credit hours per week).
Prerequisite
Must be a fourth year veterinary student
Pre or Corequisite
LAMS(SAMS) 5203
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall, spring and summer
Grading System
S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)
Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to: 1. Describe the problems and management of sedation, anesthesia, and recovery from anesthesia, in cats, dogs, and exotic animals, with specific reference to their anatomic, physiologic, and behavioral features. 2. Perform complete review of patient history, clinical data, and physical examination with emphasis on how results may affect the anesthestic management of the patient. 3. Select sedation and general anesthetic protocols that are practical for cats, dogs, and exotic animals. 4. Describe analgesic techniques used in small animals, including local infiltration, regional blocks, intravenous regional anesthesia, intraarticular and epidural blocks. 5. Describe the impact of physical state or diseases, such as cardiac, respiratory, hepatic, renal, gastrointestinal, neurological disease, dehydration, hypovolemia, shock, trauma, fractures, pregnancy, dystocia, urinary tract obstruction, on anesthetic management. 6. Perform technical skills necessary for provision of anesthesia - IV catheterization, intubation, calculation of fluid administration, determination of priorities and methods for patient monitoring and support. 7. Describe function and use of small animal anesthesia machines, breathing circuits, and ventilators, including realistic settings for oxygen flow, vaporizer setting, respiratory rate and control of tidal volume for all sizes of patient. 8. Attach an electrocardiogram, obtain indirect blood pressure measurements, attach and describe the significance of capnography readings, pulse oximeter readings, and end-tidal anesthetic gas concentrations. 9. Administer and maintain anesthesia in cats and dogs, including having a working knowledge of intraoperative fluid therapy, respiratory and circulatory support. Describe and perform different methods of blood pressure support including fluid administration, use of inotropes and vasopressors. Calculate infusion rates of selected drugs. 10. Collect blood for blood gas analysis and describe the significance or values outside normal ranges for arterial and venous pH, PaO2, PaCO2, and Base Excess. 11. Describe the recognition, identification of causes, and treatments, of complications, including airway obstruction, cardiac dysrhythmias, hypoventilation, hypoxemia, hypotension, hemorrhage, cardiac arrest.
Topical Outline
1. Case rounds will be held daily. 2. Clinical anesthesia of patients in the small animal hospital will occupy the remainder of the day. 3. Each student is required to prepare a brief summary on a topic of their choice to be given to their classmates during the course of the rotation. 4. Each student is required to provide out-of-hours service to the hospital under the guidance of Anesthesia Service staff. 5. Scheduling will be made by students when they start the rotation. 6. Grades will be based on assessment of the student's knowledge of basic and applied anesthesia, completeness of records, participation in rounds, technical anesthesia ability, patient care, interpersonal relationships, communication skills and overall work performance.
Syllabus
Public CV