Blindness post resus

Re: Blindness post resus

SmegSlayer — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:23:15 GMT

I did locum before I was qualified during sept 2006- Aug 2007 as an experienced unqualified nurse. Practices are so desparate for nurses that don't need their hands holding that they pounce on you! one even offered me a job (headoffice politics interferred). This happened in the summer of 2007. According to the vet in question we weren't left with the dental- he was only in the next room...

Re: Blindness post resus

Vicky RVN — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:01:54 GMT

[quote user="NickyVN"]

Well good news!! He has regained his sight and doesn't seem to have any other lasting damage. Lots of big sighs of relief all round. He had age on his side being only 6 months though. I had never encountered this before and hopefully wont again. Just shows you cant be too careful even with such a quick routine op. You never expect for a minute a cat castrate to crash on you!

Thanks everyone for the replies.

[/quote]

fab news!

Re: Blindness post resus

Sal the 1st — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:03:41 GMT

[quote user="SmegSlayer"]

When I was locuming I was doing a dental on a cat with a trainee monitoring when she said that she was worried about the way the cat was breathing. I listened and the resp quality was exceedingly poor, very laboured and she was slightly cyanotic (quite an elderly cat). I turned her off gas and told the nurse to get the vet from the next room. During that time she stopped breathing so I did IPPV. She started breathing again very soon after the vet came and fiddled with the tube, but he unbelievably told us to carry on with the dental and put her back on gas! I was really unhappy about doing this so zipped through the scale and didn't bother to polish. We then kept her on O2 for ages and put her in the incubator to warm up post GA with O2 going into the incubator. She came round ok but I checked her after I'd had lunch and her limbs were completely stiff. I went and got a different vet who checked her over and her pupils were totally dilated with no PLR.

She recovered otherwise and got movement back to her limbs so the owners took her home a couple of days later, but then brought her back to PTS after a couple of days as they said she wasn't happy and kept bumping into things. I personally don't think the owners gave her enough time to adapt but it was really sad and I did feel responsible

[/quote]

hope you dont mind me asking this

I have noticed from your profile that you have only just qualified. Were you locumming before you qualified - if so pretty brave thing to be doing, and did the anaesthetic turned bad happen before you qualified. If it did I dont feel it was really very fair on either you or the other trainee to be left with a dental on an elderly cat.

Re: Blindness post resus

Nicola Smith — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:33:34 GMT

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Re: Blindness post resus

dinkyd — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:40:19 GMT

We had a case a while ago where cat crashed under GA -stopped breathing and heart stopped to-we got her back quickly thankfully however she did understandibly have some neurological damage due to lack of o2 etc.She did appear to have losther sight but this did come back within a few days and as far as we know she is now back to normal self.It may take time -as neurological issues do as well.Fingers crossed.

Re: Blindness post resus

SmegSlayer — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:18:47 GMT

Re: Blindness post resus

Nicola Smith — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:42:34 GMT

Hi, thnaks for your replies. Just baffled as even though he went a horrid colour that was only for prob 30 seconds, and we didn't lose heart at all even though slowed down, so dont think he lost o2 for that long but then as we know there are never any rules!!

I am hoping it will be temporary or that he will regain some sight as the ones above. Will let you know how he gets on. It doesnt matter how long you do this job for its stil awful when things dont go to plan. I'm just so glad he was still on the table and I hadnt put him back in his bed as at least it was spotted and he is alive.

Re: Blindness post resus

sisterscope1 — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:08:28 GMT

Yes, have seen it too both in general practice and as referred ophth cases. Associated with hypoxia most commonly.

Re: Blindness post resus

Sal the 1st — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:23:09 GMT

have also seen this happen twice

1) 6monthish female in for spay that 'fell off the needle' on induction - respiratory and cardiac failure but managed to heart back within the 3 minutes, spontaneous resp took quite a bit longer. Pupil response was very sluggish/ non existent. Apparently blind on recovery but did recover sight over the next couple of months (good enough to play with toys and run around without running into things)

2) young cat maybe a couple of years old - presented with diaphragmatic hernia. Surgery went ok but did take a very long time, recovery was a bit slow which we put down to length of GA. Seemed to be blind on recovery but 'recovered' sight in the week following surgery but cat wasnt as confident as it had been pre surgery so not sure to what extent? This one had decent pupil response throughout

hope this helps

PS 1st cat was thio induction, 2nd cat prop

Re: Blindness post resus

Maisy — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:06:52 GMT

Seen a couple of cats with blindness following GA, one was temporary and this was in an 18 month old female after spay. The other was an elderly cat after a dental and this was permanent with her. In both cases the anaesthetics/recoveries were good, and vets didn't know why this might have happened. Hopefully this won't be lasting for him.