title: Associations Between Anesthetic Variables and Functional Outcome in Dogs With Thoracolumbar Intervertebral Disk Extrusion Undergoing Decompressive Hemilaminectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Outcome of acute experimental spinal cord injury is strongly associated with tissue perfusion and oxygenation. Cardiopulmonary depression could affect outcome in dogs undergoing general anesthesia for surgical treatment of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusion (IVDE).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of general anesthesia on functional outcome in dogs undergoing surgery to treat thoracolumbar IVDE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-four client-owned dogs with acute thoracolumbar IVDE treated by decompressive hemilaminectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exploratory, retrospective observational study. Medical records were reviewed for clinical presentation and anesthetic monitoring variables, including duration of anesthesia and surgery, hypotension, bradycardia, temperature, and respiratory parameters. Multivariable regression tree analysis was performed to explore associations between anesthetic variables and functional outcome scores after 6 weeks, as well as return to ambulatory status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Episodes of bradycardia (69%) and hypotension (57%) were frequent. Across all outcome measures, regression tree analysis highlighted functional grade at presentation as the primary determining factor, and among pain perception negative dogs, there was a possible association between increased duration of surgery and poorer outcome. In dogs with intact pain perception, duration of bradycardia, mean body temperature, and mean end-tidal carbon dioxide were highlighted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exploratory statistical methods can facilitate hypothesis-generating studies to inform prospective investigations in veterinary medicine. Although the mechanism is uncertain, increased duration of surgery might be associated with poorer outcome in pain perception negative dogs with thoracolumbar IVDE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fenn
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Laber
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rousse
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Early
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.|Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.|Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Muñana
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Decker
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, UK.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.|Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Olby
mesh_terms: D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007022:Hypotension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Anesthesia; Canine; Intervertebral disk extrusion; Prognosis; Spinal cord injury