MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH ANESTHETIC MANAGEMENT IN SMALL ANIMAL VETERINARY PRACTICE IN ONTARIO

During 1993 66 small animal practices participated in a prospective st udy to evaluate the incidence and details of anesthetic-related morbid ity and mortality Considering a total of 8,087 dogs and 8,702 cats und ergoing anesthesia, the incidences of complications were 2.1% and 1.3% , respectively Death occurred in 0.11% and 0.1% of cases, respectively . Logistic regression models were developed and showed that a signific ant odds ratio (OR) of complications in dogs was associated with xylaz ine (OR, 91.5); heart rate monitoring (OR, 3.2); American Society of A nesthesiologists (ASA) 3, 4, or 5 classification (OR, 2.5); isoflurane (OR, 2.4); butorphanol (OR, 0.35); technician presence (OR, 0.26); ac epromazine (OR, 0.24); ketamine (OR, 0.21); and mask induction (OR, 0. 2). Complications in cats were associated with ASA 3 4, or 5 classific ation (OR, 5.3); diazepam (OR, 4.1); intubation (OR, 1.7); butorphanol (OR, 0.45); and ketamine (OR, 0.17). Cardiac arrest in dogs was assoc iated with xylazine (OR, 43.6) and ASA 3, 4, or 5 classification (OR, 7.1). Cardiac arrest in cats was associated with ASA 3, 4, or 5 classi fication (OR, 21.6) and technician presence (OR, 0.19). This paper rep orts the incidences of complications and cardiac arrest in small anima l practice and identifies common complications and factors that may in fluence anesthetic morbidity and mortality This information may he use ful in com,oaring anesthetic management practices.