With any equine anesthesia comes risk of death. Statistics of the risk were gathered in a large worldwide study which is where the data below is being reported from. The death rate for healthy horses undergoing anesthesia is about 0.9% (1:100 horses).When you add in sick and emergency patients such as with colic, the rate of death increased to 1.9% (1:50 horses). Compare this to 1:2065 and 1:1483, the numbers in cats and dogs respectively. Obviously, the risk of death in horses is far greater than in small animal patients.This data makes pre-operative work-up and patient stabilization extremely important as the anesthetist needs every advantage during the anesthetic period to ensure a safe and positive outcome. Because equine anesthesia is NEVER without risk, the anesthetist becomes in charge of risk management. The risks to the patient range from skin wounds, through myopathies and neuropathies to death. The risk to both anesthesia and surgical staff can not be overlooked either. Therefore, determining the risks and selecting the best protocol for controlling these risks and their adverse side effects, is the primary responsibility of the anesthetist (with the help and support of the surgical staff).
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