Intravenous catheter placement can save lives during the anesthetic experience. Utilization of catheters during ruminant swine anesthesia will make it possible to administer injectable anesthetics, rapidly access the cardiovascular system in response to unanticipated acutely life-threatening events, and perfuse the animal continuously with intravenous fluids that may help correct the blood Ph anomalies and organ perfusion problems that would otherwise complicate anesthetic procedures in these animals. This article discusses catheter selection, advantages of different sites, catheterization placement techniques, maintenance, and complications. To help the practitioner select the appropriate materials, several tables are included that indicate the manufacturer's name and suggested price for each item. Where appropriate, comments are made by the authors regarding advantages and disadvantages of each.
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