protocol for animals with low resp rates

Re: protocol for animals with low resp rates

Phrin Vernon RVN — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 02:00:36 GMT

I was once told that anaesthesia is both a science, and an art.

It all depends on lots of things - the animals pre premed resp rate, was there any disease factor there, what breed or size is the animal? How fit is it? Is this a routine procedure? A painful procedure? A life saving procedure?

What was the induction agent and at what point did you notice bradypnoea? What volitile agent and circuit were you using? Had you calculated the FGF rate? What monitoring equipment did you have?

Too many questions and variables to give a decent answer sorry!

It isn't just about keeping HR/PR/RR within a specified range!

Re: protocol for animals with low resp rates

Laura James — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 18:47:38 GMT

Also, what was your pre-med and anaesthetic? Was it recovering from post-propofol apnoea?

If the patient was light and breathing was like that, I would have given IPPV (as long as the correct circuit was being used), if that doesn't help then the vet may suggest Dopram as a respiratory stimulant

Re: protocol for animals with low resp rates

Amy Homer. RVN. NCert A&CC — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 15:30:58 GMT

hi, i would be concerned with a resp rate of 1 per min. i would try to lighten up the animal asap and give ippv . with only one breath per min it wouldnt be long before the sp02 dropped. also what circuit were you using? maybe thins could be contributing? maybe try changing if possible.

nb you will get a lower resp raate in very fit animals

hope this helps x

Re: protocol for animals with low resp rates

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:44:03 GMT

it was a gaspy sort of irregular resp rate , but no palpebral reflex eye position and pupil seemed to be "plane 2" and not too deep! i too thought the same thing as everyone else suggested "too deep" , but turning down seemed to make things worse ...thats why i was thinking maybe hypertension from being too light ?? what would someone else do in that situation thinking the animal was too deep but no other signs of being too deep??averageing 1 breath per minute sp02 of 99... heart rate was always around 97...

Re: protocol for animals with low resp rates

shelly jefferies — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 10:20:50 GMT

I base this answer on talking about anaesthetic.....

If too "light" they may have a decreased resp rate but this is normally gaspy/irregular and they will have palpebral reflex. I would have thought if decreased they are too deep. You need to judge this with all the other physical signs. What r u basing the decrease on as their resp rate will nearly always decrease once anaesthetised compared to pre-op check as relaxed. If basing decreased resp rate on dropping during the anaesthetic it is probably too deep.

you also cannot expect a normal resp rate as will vary depending on fitness, size and age.

Re: protocol for animals with low resp rates

Claire Anderson — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 05:31:33 GMT

I assume you are talking about during anaesthesia if you're mentioning the patient being too "light"? If that's what you are referring too, then I would not think they are too light but perhapds too "deep". Look up what a respiratory rate should be during anaesthesia- will vary depending on size of animal, anaesthetic type etc.

If a patient has not reached an adequate level or plane of anaesthesia,(or they are too light) they will normally have an increased respiratory rate, rather than decreased.

If you are not referring to anaesthesia at all, then you should inform the vet so they can find out why the animal's resp rate is low!!