References
How to prepare and position a horse for theatre
Abstract
There are many factors to taken into consideration when anaesthetising a horse, most importantly the sheer size of the animal and minimising the infection risk involved. Organisation and team work are key from the preparation of the horse for surgery, right through until the horse is standing following surgery. The horse itself is the greatest source of potential contamination for an operating theatre, therefore a meticulous preparation process is vital and high standards maintained in theatre at all times. Horses are at high risk of developing a myopathy or neuropathy during a general anaesthetic and this makes the positioning in theatre a complex process.
The operating theatre should be free from microorganisms and spores and maintained as an aseptic environment. The horse itself is the greatest source of potential contamination of theatre and exogenous microorganisms found on the skin and coat are frequently the most common cause of contamination in a clean surgical wound (McHugh, 2012). Meticulous preparation of the patient is therefore essential and time and care must be taken during this procedure. Horses are big animals and this makes the positioning a complex process, particularly owing to the associated risks such as myopathy and neuropathy. The type of operation will determine the positioning; however, the patient's health must always be kept at the forefront of the nurse's mind.
There is always a lot to do during the pre-operative preparation of a horse and organisation is the key. In order to keep the anaesthetic time to a minimum, it is important to do as much preparation as possible prior to induction. The preparation will be determined to a certain extent by the type of operation and the surgeon in charge.
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