Professor of Veterinary Anesthesiology College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee
This lecture outlines the anesthetic-related morbidity and mortality in small animals and the associated risk factors. The risk factors reported in a variety of literature from veterinary medicine and human medicine will be analyzed. In addition, based on the existing gaps in the knowledge in this area and based on the clinical experience, other factors that their impact has not yet been evaluated, will be listed and their potential association with anesthetic morbidity and mortality will be discussed. The goals of this discussion are therefore, not only to remind the professionals of the risk factors but also to stimulate further thoughts in designing future clinical and research-based studies to determine some important unknown factors that may affect the anesthetic outcome. Ideally by considering the risk factors, and appropriate preparation for preventing and resolving those factors, anesthetic morbidity and mortality in small animals will be further reduced.
