Survey of veterinary anaesthesia practices for computed tomography in small animal referral hospitals in the UK

To survey current veterinary anaesthesia practice during computed tomography (CT) scanning in UK referral hospitals and explore the factors influencing anaesthetists’ decision-making. Anonymous online voluntary survey. Ninety-three veterinarians working as anaesthetists, from 189 eligible individuals. An email containing a link to a 26 question online survey was sent to 189 UK small-animal referral veterinarians with advanced anaesthesia training and access to CT scanners. Questions addressed training level, practice settings, and approaches to intravenous fluid therapy (IVFT) and anaesthesia during CT scans, including standard operating procedure (SOP) use. There were 93 responses (49.2%). An SOP was absent for selecting general anaesthesia (GA) versus sedation in 65% of cases, for pre-contrast blood testing in 71%, and for IVFT in 42%. Among respondents who routinely chose GA, reasons included requiring apnoea (51.6%), chest inflation requests (38.7%), and safety during anaphylactic reactions (10.7%). Creatinine and urea were commonly measured (52.7%) to assess kidney function and estimate the risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI). The initiation of IVFT and rates used varied, often adjusted according to animal condition, with 34.4% of respondents citing concerns about CI-AKI as the main reason for giving fluids. This study highlights variability in veterinary CT anaesthesia practices in UK referral hospitals. Although CI-AKI concerns were common, reported pre-contrast blood and urine analysis and IVFT practices varied considerably among respondents. More research is needed to establish evidence-based guidelines.