Post Operative Care
The Federal Animal Welfare Act and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, require that investigators provide research and teaching animals with adequate post-surgical care and that post-surgical medical records be maintained. Additional information is available in the, AVMA Special Report on "Guidelines for animal surgery in research and teaching," American Journal of Veterinary Research 54(9):1544-1559, 1993. This memo has been prepared by the University Laboratory Animal Resources to define the currently accepted standard for post-surgical monitoring of research animals at The Ohio State University.
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Records:
Unless previously arranged for, the post-operative care will be provided by the veterinary staff of the animal facility, where the animal will be housed. This includes monitoring, record keeping, and treatments. Monitoring and record keeping will be according to ULAR Post-Operative Care Guidelines. Treatment will be provided according to post-operative orders written by the Principal Investigator. Investigators choosing to provide their own post-operative care must maintain appropriate records. During the post-operative period, these records must be kept near the animal so that they are readily available for inspection by Animal Welfare Inspectors of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and for the information of vivarium veterinary staff. For all mammals other than rodents, individual records must be maintained. For rodents, please refer to the Guidelines for Survival Surgery in Rodents, which are available from the ULAR Office at the Research Foundation or the ULAR-Surgery Service Office at Wiseman Hall.
Records should include a brief description of the surgical procedure, note any complications that occur, and should record any drugs or treatments that are administered. The record should include a notation for each time the animal is examined post-operatively. The post-operative record should be maintained as a part of the animal's medical history.
Record retention will follow the Intellectual Property section of Ohio Public Records Laws:
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Routine ULAR Medical Records.
Those records relating to routine surveillance, diagnosis, treatment and control of animal diseases in ULAR facilities are considered to be part of the ULAR Medicine and Surgery Program and considered to be public records. These records will be maintained by ULAR for three (3) years after completion of the protocol/project. -
Protocol Medical Records
Those records relating to illnesses or injuries that occur in animals enrolled on a protocol when these illnesses or injuries occur as a result of the use of experimental procedures specified in the protocol are considered to be the Intellectual Property of the principal investigator. These records are not considered to be public records. These type records will be returned to the principal investigator after final disposition of the animal. The principal investigator is required to retain these records for a minimum of three (3) years. -
Minimum Requirements for Monitoring:
The need for monitoring will vary according to the type of surgery and species of animal. The following program, in which animals are categorized as to stage of recovery, should be considered minimal:
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Stage 4 Animals (Post-Anesthetic Recovery) - are unconscious or semi-conscious, unable to sit up or maintain sternal recumbency. (Animals that are semi-conscious, but become aroused when handled, are considered a Stage 3 animal). Animals should never be left unattended until the endotracheal tube has been removed. Extubation should be performed when the swallowing reflex has returned. Record time of extubation.
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At a minimum, observations should be recorded every 30-60 minutes. The record should indicate the time at which the animal was examined, the person who examined the animal, and any findings that were abnormal. The following parameters should be observed until the animal recovers to Stage 3:
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Body temperature
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Heart rate and character
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Respiratory rate and pattern
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Capillary refill time
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Jaw tone - resistance to opening
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Response to toe pinch - withdrawal or non-withdrawal
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Palpebral response to touching the medial canthus
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Color of mucous membranes at gums or conjunctive
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Examine closely for other abnormalities.
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Small animals should be turned from side to side periodically to help prevent pulmonary hypostatic congestion.
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Prevent hypothermia. Ambient temperature should be adjusted by increasing room temperature and cautiously using circulating warm water blankets or heat lamps. The animal should be kept dry and the excreta removed.
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The state of hydration should be assessed by noting perfusion of mucous membranes, skin turgor, dryness of oral cavity, and evidence of voided urine. Parenteral fluids should be provided as necessary. They may be administered intravenously or subcutaneously depending upon clinical status of the animal.
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Stage 3 Animals - are conscious and can maintain sternal recumbency or sit, but cannot stand. Stage 3 includes animals that are semi-conscious but either resist handling or become aroused when handled.
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Examine every 3-15 hours depending on the nature of the surgery and the status of the animal. Monitor the following parameters until the animal recovers to
Stage 2: -
Body temperature
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Capillary refill time
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Attitude and activity
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Condition of the operative site
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Examine closely for other abnormalities
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Keep the animal dry and remove any excreta.
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Consider use of analgesic medication after clinical assessment of pain.
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Stage 2 Animals - can stand and move about; not yet eating and drinking normally.
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Examine daily and monitor until the animal recovers to Stage 1:
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Body temperature
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Hydration
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Attitude and activity - alert or depressed
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Food and water consumption
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Condition of the operative site
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Examine closely for other abnormalities
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Record any therapeutic drug administered. Considerations for special nutritional support may be included (hand feeding, syringed water per os, vitamin/minerals, parenteral fluids, etc.).
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Administer analgesics, if indicated.
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Stage 1 Animals - are active, alert, eating and drinking normally, skin sutures are in place. Animals are also considered to be in Stage 1 if they have chronic indwelling catheters or other externally applied apparatus.
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Examine daily and continue the post-surgical record until the sutures are removed. The condition of catheters, bandages, splints, implants, etc. must be observed daily as long as such devices are in place.
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Drugs administered should be recorded.
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Animals with chronic indwelling catheters or external appliances or implants must be observed daily. Body weights, body temperatures, hemograms, food intake, or other measurable parameters should be monitored and recorded weekly.
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Stage 0 Animals - are normal; skin sutures are removed and no catheters or external implants are in place. Specific post-surgical care and record no longer required; however, regular observations are still advisable.
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Veterinary Supervision
Post-operative care is considered an aspect of adequate veterinary care under the NIH Guide and the Animal Welfare Act. The following constitute minimal veterinary involvement in post-operative care:
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Clinical veterinary staff for the vivarium or project must be notified of the time and place of any animal surgeries prior to the time of surgery.
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If any post-operative complications arise, or if the animal does not appear to be recovering normally, the clinical veterinary staff must be consulted.
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