Anaesthesia and Analgesia

These are the proceedings of the course presented by Drs Sanaa Zaki and Gabrielle Musk which covered two important areas of clinical practice: anaesthesia and analgesia. The anaesthesia component provided participants with an update on monitoring techniques and equipment, which can assist veterinarians to detect and respond to complications before they become major disasters. Common anaesthetic complications were discussed and strategies for dealing with these complications are also outlined. Included was a session on artificial ventilation; putting the theory into practice. The analgesia component of this program covered the clinical pharmacology of commonly used analgesics such as opioids and ketamine, as well as those that have more recently come into use, such as tramadol. In addition to this pharmacology update, analgesic techniques including infusions and nerve blocks were discussed and their application demonstrated with case examples that highlight a multi-modal approach to pain management. This event was held in Melbourne in May and in Brisbane in November 2009.