Pre-Anesthetic 2

Preoperative Procedures: Level of Consciousness

  • Patient’s responsiveness to stimuli

  • Assess brain function

  • Decrease - abnormal brain function caused by a variety of reasons

  • Traditional LOC

  • AVPU scale used in human patients (not commonly used currently but can be easily applied)


Preoperative Procedures: Physical Exam

  • General Condition:

    • Revealed by visual examination of patient

    • Giat

    • Temperament and activity level

  • Examination of Exterior Surfaces:

    • Coat condition

    • Skin

    • Lymph Nodes and Mammary Glands

    • Body openings

    • Examination of eyes, ears, nose, and oral cavity

    • Pupillary light reflex

  • Cardiovascular System Examination:

    • Heart rate and rhythm

    • Normal rhythms ve arrhythmias

    • Examination for murmurs

    • Palpation of pulse (and comparison with HR)

    • Assessment of MM and CRT

  • Respiratory System Examination:

    • Respiratory rate

    • Respiratory character (effort, relative length of inhalation and exhalation, and regularity)

    • Auscultation of lungs - each of four quadrants of the thorax

  • Abdominal Palpation and Auscultation:

    • Normal abdomen should be soft to touch and not painful

    • Small animals - organs difficult to feel except bladder and kidneys (cats)

    • Large animals - use auscultation to detect normal gut sounds (borborygmus)