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Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire2021; 85(3); 193-200;

Effect of anesthesia duration on the quality of recovery in horses undergoing elective and emergency surgeries using the same anesthetic protocol.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of anesthesia duration on the quality of recovery in horses. The medical records of horses that were anesthetized and underwent surgery for elective and emergency soft tissue and orthopedic conditions from 2013 to 2019 were reviewed. Horses included in the study (N = 305) fulfilled the following requirements: all had the same premedication/induction protocol and the same balanced anesthesia for maintenance and were anesthetized by the same, experienced Board-certified anesthesiologist. A standardized anesthetic recovery score was completed for all horses to evaluate their recovery and the following interactions were assessed: age, body weight, breed, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, type of surgical procedure, occurrence of hypotension, use of dobutamine, number of additional doses of xylazine/ketamine after isoflurane discontinuation, anesthesia duration, post-anesthetic sedation, and end-tidal isoflurane concentration during maintenance and at the time of transfer to the recovery room. These interactions were assessed based on the quality of recovery score using logistic regression. Duration of anesthesia ( = 0.021) and age ( = 0.003) negatively affected the quality of recovery. The odds of a worse recovery score were increased by 1.20-fold (1.03, 1.41; lower and upper limits) for every additional 30 min of anesthesia duration, while the odds of a worse recovery score were increased by 1.09-fold (1.03, 1.16) for every additional 1 y of age. In conclusion, the results of this retrospective study indicate that increasing the anesthesia duration negatively affects the quality of recovery in horses undergoing routine and emergency surgical procedures. L’objectif de cette étude était d’étudier l’effet de la durée de l’anesthésie sur la qualité de la récupération chez les chevaux. Les dossiers médicaux des chevaux qui ont été anesthésiés et ont subi une intervention chirurgicale élective et d’urgence des tissus mous et orthopédique de 2013 à 2019 ont été examinés. Les chevaux inclus dans l’étude (N = 305) remplissaient les conditions suivantes : tous avaient le même protocole de prémédication/d’induction et la même anesthésie équilibrée pour l’entretien et ont été anesthésiés par le même anesthésiste expérimenté et certifié par le . Un score de récupération anesthésique standardisé a été réalisé pour tous les chevaux afin d’évaluer leur récupération et les interactions suivantes ont été évaluées : âge, poids corporel, race, sexe, statut , type d’intervention chirurgicale, survenue d’hypotension, utilisation de dobutamine, nombre de doses supplémentaires de xylazine/kétamine après l’arrêt de l’isoflurane, la durée de l’anesthésie, la sédation post-anesthésique et la concentration d’isoflurane en fin d’expiration pendant l’entretien et au moment du transfert en salle de réveil. Ces interactions ont été évaluées sur la base de la qualité du score de récupération en utilisant la régression logistique. La durée de l’anesthésie ( = 0,021) et l’âge ( = 0,003) ont affecté négativement la qualité de la récupération. Les probabilités d’un pire score de récupération ont été multipliées par 1,20 (1,03, 1,41; limites inférieure et supérieure) pour chaque 30 min supplémentaire de durée d’anesthésie, tandis que les chances d’un pire score de récupération ont été multipliées par 1,09 (1,03, 1,16) pour chaque année d’âge supplémentaire. En conclusion, les résultats de cette étude rétrospective indiquent que l’augmentation de la durée de l’anesthésie affecte négativement la qualité de la récupération chez les chevaux subissant des interventions chirurgicales de routine et d’urgence.(Traduit par Docteur Serge Messier).
Copyright and/or publishing rights held by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
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Publication Date: 2021-07-13 PubMed ID: 34248263PubMed Central: PMC8243802
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article studied the impact of anesthesia duration on the quality of recovery in horses that have undergone elective and emergency surgeries. The data from the study shows that an increase in age and duration under anesthesia negatively impacts the quality of recovery.

About the Study

  • The data was collected retrospectively from the medical records of horses, which underwent surgeries from 2013 to 2019, under the care of an experienced Board-certified anesthesiologist.
  • The study included a total of 305 horses that underwent soft tissue or orthopedic surgery, either elective or emergency.
  • All the horses were subjected to the same premedication/induction protocol and balanced anesthesia for maintenance.

Methodology

  • The recovery of the horses was assessed using a standardized recovery score system.
  • The researchers took into account various factors including age, body weight, breed, sex, type of surgical procedure, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, occurrence of hypotension, use of dobutamine, number of doses of xylazine/ketamine after discontinuation of isoflurane, anesthesia duration, post-anesthetic sedation, and end-tidal isoflurane concentration during maintenance and transfer to the recovery room.
  • The quality of recovery was evaluated using these factors in a logistic regression model.

Results

  • The research found that anesthesia duration and age negatively affected the quality of recovery in horses.
  • Every additional 30 minutes of anesthesia increased the odds of a worse recovery score by 1.20 times, while every additional year of age raised these odds by 1.09 times.

Conclusion

  • The findings of this study suggest that the duration of anesthesia negatively impacts the quality of recovery in horses undergoing surgeries, highlighting the need for careful anesthetic management in older horses and procedures requiring longer durations of anesthesia.

Cite This Article

APA
Vermedal H, Valverde A, Sears W. (2021). Effect of anesthesia duration on the quality of recovery in horses undergoing elective and emergency surgeries using the same anesthetic protocol. Can J Vet Res, 85(3), 193-200.

Publication

Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire
ISSN: 1928-9022
NlmUniqueID: 8607793
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 85
Issue: 3
Pages: 193-200

Researcher Affiliations

Vermedal, Hanna
  • Department of Equine Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland (Vermedal); Department of Clinical Studies (Valverde) and Department of Population Medicine (Sears), Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1.
Valverde, Alexander
  • Department of Equine Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland (Vermedal); Department of Clinical Studies (Valverde) and Department of Population Medicine (Sears), Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1.
Sears, William
  • Department of Equine Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland (Vermedal); Department of Clinical Studies (Valverde) and Department of Population Medicine (Sears), Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1.

MeSH Terms

  • Anesthesia Recovery Period
  • Anesthesia, General / adverse effects
  • Anesthesia, General / veterinary
  • Anesthetics / administration & dosage
  • Anesthetics / adverse effects
  • Anesthetics / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Emergencies / veterinary
  • Horses
  • Time Factors

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Joseph EJ, Love L, Mayakis M, Varner K. Preanesthetic Administration of Trazodone Does Not Impact Anesthetic Recovery Scores in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2025 Oct 6;15(19).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15192907pubmed: 41096502google scholar: lookup
  2. Román Durá B, Dunham O, Grulke S, Salciccia A, Dupont J, Sandersen C. A Retrospective Study on Pre- and Intraoperative Predictors on the Recovery Quality of Horses After General Anesthesia. Vet Sci 2025 Mar 11;12(3).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci12030262pubmed: 40266986google scholar: lookup
  3. Henderson ARP, Valverde A, Koenig J, Sears W. Effects of anesthetic protocol, procedure, and recovery stall and interval on the quality of recovery in repeatedly anesthetized horses. Can J Vet Res 2025 Jan;89(1):17-25.
    pubmed: 39744466
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