Crisis Management: How to Handle Emergencies and Complications
Ralph Harvey, DVM, MS, DACVAA
Starts: 03/24/11 at 3:45pm

Anesthesia is intended to be a controlled, benign, and reversible process. Unfortunately, anesthetic drugs produce their effects primarily by limited depression of vital processes. The inherent dangers of anesthesia and the debilitation of injuries and illness that require anesthesia and surgery predispose the patient to risks of serious complications and emergencies. Most anesthetic complications and emergencies can be related to human errors, equipment problems, ventilatory problems, or circulatory problems. Most anesthetic emergencies and complications can be prevented or adequately managed.