Causes Effects and Methods of Monitoring Gas Exchange Disturbances during Equine General Anaesthesia

摘要

Horses are considered to be one of the most challenging domestic species to anaesthetize. Because of the compression of the abdominal visceral organs on the lungs when positioned in dorsal or lateral recumbency, general anaesthesia can cause significant changes to pulmonary function, blood circulation and gas exchange. Consequently, post-operative complications and anaesthetic mortality rates are higher for horses than for other commonly anaesthetized companion animals. There is no ideal method for monitoring respiratory gas concentrations during general anaesthesia, so it is important to know the advantages and limitations of individual methods and the factors that affect monitoring devices. The aim of this review is to summarize previously published studies regarding the causes and effects of intraoperative gas exchange disturbances as well as monitoring methods.