Equine perioperative fatalities associated with general anaesthesia at a private practice–a retrospective case series.

The research article investigates the fatality rate of horses subjected to general anesthesia at a private equine medical clinic, analyzing data collected from 1997 to 2001, and concludes that familiarity with anesthetic protocol and thorough preoperative examination can reduce anesthesia-associated risks in horses.

Research Background and Methods

• The researchers’ objective was to determine the fatality rate of horses undergoing general anesthesia at a private equine referral practice using a restricted set of anesthesia protocols.
• They conducted a retrospective analysis of records from 1997 to 2001, covering a total of 17,961 cases at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
• The results were reported as a proportion of the entire sample population and as raw mortality rates for each procedure. Mortality rates were expressed in terms of deaths per 1000 cases.

Research Findings

• They found that the fatality rate of equines directly due to anesthesia was 0.12% (21 cases out of 17,961), which increased to 0.24% (42 cases) when including horses dying or euthanized within the seven-day post-anesthesia period.
• The primary causes of these anesthetic-related deaths were cardiac arrest (10 cases), fractures sustained in recovery stalls (8 cases), and neuropathy and myopathy necessitating euthanasia (3 cases).
• Aside from instances of arthrodesis/osteotomy surgeries (where the mortality rate was 66.7 deaths per 1000 cases), the general mortality rate per procedure was less than or equal to 7 deaths per 1000 cases.

Research Conclusions

• The study concludes that the fatality rate at this practice was lower than rates previously reported in other studies.
• The researchers posit that adherence to a known anesthetic protocol, coupled with a reduced duration of anesthesia, quick scheduling of emergency surgeries post-diagnosis, and sufficient preoperative examination, can likely lessen the risks associated with administering general anesthesia to horses.

This research provides valuable insights into equine anesthesia-associated mortality rates, and highlights the importance of adhering to established protocol and conducting thorough preoperative examinations to minimize risks.