A retrospective study of mortality associated with general anaesthesia in horses: elective procedures.

The study scrutinizes the mortality rate associated with the administration of general anesthesia in horses during elective procedures, using data obtained from the Philip Leverhulme Large Animal Teaching Hospital over five years. Significantly, the research found that out of 1279 animals undergoing anesthesia, only 0.63% died due to the surgical procedure or anesthesia, and only 0.08% of deaths were solely attributable to anesthesia.

Study Design and Data Collection

• The retrospective study was conducted using data collected over a five-year period, specifically from February 1991 to December 1995, at the Philip Leverhulme Large Animal Teaching Hospital.
• The study examined and analysed data relating to 2276 instances where horses were administered general anesthesia for various procedures.
• All cases of mortality within the study sample that occurred post-surgery were closely examined, attributing the cause of death to either the surgical procedure itself, the administration of the general anesthesia, or another factor.

Mortality Trends and Analysis

• In the group of 1279 horses that underwent anesthesia for elective procedures, there were 46 instances of mortality (3.6%), which were the result of either death or euthanasia due to a poor prognosis or financial constraints.
• The mortality rate directly linked to the surgical procedure or the general anesthesia was noted to be lower at 0.63%. This percentage signifies the number of horses that died specifically as a direct result of the surgery or the anesthesia of the entire group that underwent anesthesia.
• The mortality rate attributable solely to the administration of general anesthesia was even lower, noted to be 0.08%. This signifies that only one death from the entire group could be attributed solely to the effects of the anesthesia with no organic cause found at postmortem examination.

Implications and Conclusions

• The research highlighted that cases of mortality directly linked to either the surgical procedure or the general anesthesia were considerably low.
• It further emphasizes that deaths solely attributable to general anesthesia were exceedingly rare, indicating that the rate at which anesthesia-induced mortality occurs is low.
• However, the study does not exclude the fact that other factors, such as poor prognosis or financial constraints, contribute significantly to the decision to euthanize, which in turn affects the overall mortality rate disclosed by the study.