References
Neuromuscular blocking agents — what does a nurse need to know?
Abstract
The need for clarification of what is relevant to nurses is required in order for the veterinary nurse to be able to proceed with involvement of patients using neuromuscular blocking agents (NBAs). Available veterinary literature provides information that nurses do not necessarily require, such as the pharmacological compounds of NBAs and ultimately most do not focus on the nursing side of using NBAs, such as ventilation requirements, heating aids and monitoring equipment required. This article highlights what nurses are required to be aware of when participating in NBA use, providing a condensed nursing perspective.
When using neuromuscular blocking agents (NBA) Bowman (2006) states that it is in the skill of the person in charge of the anaesthetic to keep the patient unconscious, so as not to allow the patient to become awake and paralysed, a particularly heavy burden for a nurse that has not had specific training in NBA use. This article will look at the history and relevant areas to nursing care that are required through procedures using NBAs.
Anaesthesia protocols used in veterinary medicine have certain muscle relaxation qualities, however, in order to provide marked muscle relaxation a significantly higher dose of sedative/anaesthetic agent is required, thus causing an increasing risk of morbidity to the patient due to their inherent cardiovascular side effects. The triad of anaesthesia was introduced partly due to the discovery of muscle relaxants. The three points of the triad are hypnosis, analgesia and muscle relaxation (Raghavendra, 2002; Flaherty, 2009). NBAs are required in addition to normal sedative/anaesthetic protocols in order to prevent all skeletal muscle movement during intricate or more complicated surgeries (Bowman, 2006; Murrell and Ford-Fennah, 2011).
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