Monitoring Anaesthetics: Interpreting the Beeps & Numbers

A large part of a veterinary nurses job is monitoring the anaesthetised patient, with nurses expected to safely monitor and recover patients every day. a properly trained nurse dedicated to monitoring the anaesthetic is the most important monitor a practice can own. this lecture will discuss the many aspects of anaesthetic monitoring.

Anaesthesia can be described as a controlled and reversible suppression of the nervous system. the aim of anaesthetic monitoring is to ensure that the suppression of the ner- vous system is controlled and reversible.

Hands-on techniques like observation of the thorax and rebreathing bag, palpation of the pulse, assessment of the mucous membrane colour, capillary refill time, palpebral reflex, eye position, jaw tone and withdrawal reflex should not be ignored due to a purchase of an anaesthetic monitoring machine, which might have limitations which could lead to false or misleading readings.

The nurse monitoring the anaesthetic must have an understanding of the information these monitors can provide, and the knowledge about which specific parameters are important to concentrate on for a particular procedure or patient. using monitoring equipment available in conjunction with assessment of patient parameters such as peripheral pulse quality and mucous membrane colour is vital to anticipate and treat complications before they become serious. it is important to monitor all the vital signs you can and combine the information to build up a picture of what is happening to the patient. this enables the nurse to inform the vet of changing situations, allowing diag- nosis and treatment of problems before they become serious. [...]