Anaesthesia-related morbidity associated with recumbent, low-field magnetic resonance imaging of horses.
Abstract: Medical records from 2009 to 2021 from a private equine referral hospital in Rochester, NH, USA were analysed for cases that underwent general anaesthesia for low-field MRI of the distal limb. These were used to determine peri-anaesthetic morbidity and mortality. Unassigned: Two hundred and forty-three anaesthetic episodes were recorded in horses undergoing low-field MRI. The peri-anaesthetic complication rate prior to discharge was 6.2% (15/243). No patients experienced a fatal complication. Ninety two of the 243 patients had multiple sites imaged, 90/243 received pre-anaesthetic dantrolene, 134/243 received intra-anaesthetic dobutamine, and 15/243 were positioned in dorsal recumbency. Complications included: abdominal discomfort ("colic"; 9/243), myopathy (4/243), hyphaema (1/243) and carpal fracture (1/243). At the time of discharge, 14/15 complications had resolved. Of 135 horses for which data were available 55 became hypotensive during the procedure (lowest mean arterial pressure < 65 mmHg). Median body weight was 553 (min 363, max 771) kg. Horses were anaesthetised for a median of 150 (min 45, max 210) minutes. There was no evidence of an association between higher body weight (p = 0.051) or longer duration of anaesthesia (p = 0.421) and development of an anaesthetic complication. For categorical variables (dantrolene administration pre-anaesthesia, dobutamine administration during anaesthesia, hypotension (mean < 65 mmHg) during anaesthesia, dorsal lateral recumbency, and imaging of single multiple sites) the 95% CI for the OR included 1, indicating a lack of effect of the variable on the odds of complication. Unassigned: The cases included in this series suggest that low-field MRI under general anaesthesia is a viable option for diagnostic imaging in otherwise healthy horses. Complications occur, but most resolve before discharge.
Publication Date: 2024-04-07 PubMed ID: 38583873DOI: 10.1080/00480169.2024.2321176Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article is a retrospective study analyzing morbidity associated with anaesthesia during low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of horses at a private equine hospital in Rochester, NH, USA from 2009 to 2021.
Methodology
- The researchers reviewed medical records of horses that had undergone general anaesthesia for low-field MRI of the distal limb.
- It included 243 anaesthetic episodes and aimed to determine peri-anaesthetic morbidity and mortality.
- Apart from the anaesthesia, other variables considered in the study were the administration of pre-anaesthetic dantrolene, intra-anaesthetic dobutamine, horse positioning during the procedure (dorsal recumbency), and imaging of multiple sites.
Findings
- The anaesthetic complication rate prior to discharge was found to be 6.2%, with 15 out of 243 cases experiencing some complications.
- These complications included abdominal discomfort (referred to as “colic”), myopathy, hyphaema, and carpal fracture.
- However, it was observed that 14 out of 15 complications had resolved at the time of discharge and no fatal complications were recorded.
- Out of the available data for 135 horses, 55 became hypotensive during the procedure with the lowest mean arterial pressure recorded being less than 65 mmHg.
Analysis
- The study also attempted to identify if there were correlations between higher body weight or longer duration of anaesthesia and the development of an anaesthetic complication.
- No evidence of an association was found. The p-value, a measure of statistical significance, for body weight was 0.051 and for anaesthesia duration was 0.421. Both of these values are higher than the statistical significance threshold of 0.05, indicating that the chance findings were due to random chance and not a significant correlation.
- For considered categorical variables, the 95% confidence interval for odds ratio included 1, showing there was no effect of these variables on the odds of complication.
Conclusions
- The study concluded that low-field MRI under general anaesthesia appears to be a safe method for diagnostic imaging in otherwise healthy horses.
- While complications can occur, they are rare and typically resolve before the horse is discharged from the hospital.
Cite This Article
APA
Myhre MG, Azeem A, Barrett M.
(2024).
Anaesthesia-related morbidity associated with recumbent, low-field magnetic resonance imaging of horses.
N Z Vet J, 72(3), 141-147.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2024.2321176 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Myhre Equine Clinic, Rochester, NH, USA.
- Myhre Equine Clinic, Rochester, NH, USA.
- Gail Holmes Orthopedic Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Horses
- Animals
- Dobutamine
- Dantrolene
- Anesthesia, General / adverse effects
- Anesthesia, General / veterinary
- Anesthetics
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging / veterinary
- Body Weight
Citations
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