EFFECT OF BODY POSITION ON ESOPHAGEAL AND GASTRIC PRESSURES IN THE ANESTHETIZED DOG

The effect of body position on lower oesophageal sphincter pressure (L OSP), gastric pressure and barrier pressure (BrP) was investigated in 40 dogs anaesthetised for neutering procedures. The dogs were placed i n lateral recumbency followed by dorsal recumbency (group 1) or vice v ersa (group 2). LOSP decreased significantly in the animals which were positioned initially in lateral recumbency, when they were then place d in dorsal recumbency, while those initially positioned in dorsal rec umbency showed no significant change in their LOSP or BrP when their p osition was altered to lateral recumbency. When the data from both gro ups were pooled, LOSP and BrP were significantly lower when the dogs w ere in dorsal compared to lateral recumbency (P<0.05).