Preanesthetic Testing Overview

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EDUCATION

Preanesthetic Evaluation: Make No Compromises presented by
Fred Metzger, DVM, DABVP
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Why add a CBC to your preanesthetic protocol?
Dr. Alan Rebar explains.
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(23.8 MB, 11.35 minutes)

CASE STUDY

See how preanesthetic testing made a difference
for Ruca's doctors.

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You always do a physical exam on the day of surgery. So why wouldn’t you also perform same-day, preanesthetic blood work to minimize your patients’ anesthetic risk? Same-day, real-time blood work results decrease the risk of serious complications during induction, anesthesia and recovery.

Blood cell counts can change in hours or even minutes.

The CBC is a more sensitive indicator of disease than the physical exam.
You can screen for conditions such as thrombocytopenia and anemia that may greatly enhance the risk of anesthetic and surgical procedures.
Running a CBC the day of the procedure is critical, as the cellular components can change quickly. For example, red blood cells (RBCs) can change in just a few minutes if an occult mass ruptures or in just hours with an occult hemorrhage.
Additionally, white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets can change within hours due to acute infectious diseases.

Fasted samples are required for accurate results.

Abnormal glucose levels can increase anesthetic risk and differ markedly between fasted and nonfasted samples, breeds, age and sick and healthy patients.
Evaluating electrolytes, hematocrit and total protein in fasted patients is essential for monitoring during anesthesia, minimizing the risk of arrhythmias and hypotension and facilitating patient recovery.
Same-day testing allows owners to fast pets only once. It's easier on pets and owners and increases compliance.

Dog with heart image: Small Animal Preanesthetic Testing Overview - IDEXX Laboratories