Anesthesia and Analgesia
- Introduction
- Amphibians
- Dogs
- Ferrets
- Fish
- Gerbils
- Guinea
- Hamsters
- Mice
- Pigs
- Primates
- Rabbits
- Rats
- Ruminants
- Turtles
- References
Federal laws requires that animal procedures are to be reviewed by the Administrative Panel on Laboratory Animal Care (A-PLAC) to ensure that proposed anesthetics and/or analgesics are appropriate for the species and research objectives. The VSC veterinary staff is available to provide free consultation, or training in the proper administration and use of anesthetics and analgesics. VSC veterinary staff is also available to conduct anesthesia services for a fee.
Written documentation of all surgical procedures, including the types, amounts, and time of administration of anesthetic, analgesic or tranquilizing drugs used and the physiologic parameters monitored during the procedure, is required. This documentation is subject to review by USDA inspectors, VSC veterinarians, and the A-PLAC at any time. In addition, all manipulations and drug use should be recorded in the individual animal's record or the investigator's experimental notebook.
The ILAR Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals requires that any proposal to conduct painful procedures without anesthesia or analgesia must be scientifically justified by the investigator and approved by the A-PLAC. Such procedures must be directly supervised by the responsible investigator.
Obtaining Anesthetics/Analgesics
Research use of selected drugs and precursor chemicals are regulated by the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and California Department of Justice (CA-DOJ). Some drugs commonly used in animal research, such as ketamine, are controlled substances and fall under the jurisdiction of DEA and CA-DOJ regulations. The Stanford Controlled Substances & Chemical Precursor Chemicals Program is managed by the office of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S). For more information about the program, instructions on how to order controlled drugs, and to download order forms or recordkeeping documents, go to the EH&S web site:
• http://www.stanford.edu/dept/EHS/prod/researchlab/IH/cs_program/
VSC dispenses a very limited variety of drugs. For current inventory please see:
• http://vsc.stanford.edu/forms/PharmacyInventory.pdf
Ordering items from the VSC pharmacy is made via an online VSC pharmacy request form. You must provide project account (PTA) and A-PLAC protocol numbers. Submit the online form directly through the VSC website at:
• http://vsc.stanford.edu/forms/internal/pharmacyRequest.html
Drugs that do not require a veterinary license are available at the Stanford Inpatient Pharmacy in the basement of the Stanford Hospital at rooms H0301 and should be ordered directly there by means of a SU13 form. Find more information about Stanford Inpatient Pharmacy at: http://stanfordhospital.org/clinicsmedServices/medicalServices/pharmacy/
Please clink on the link below for additional information regarding ordering drugs and supplies:
• http://vsc.stanford.edu/forms/VSCpharmacySign.pdf
Personnel Safety When Working With Anesthetic Gases
Exposure to anesthetic gases (e.g. isoflurane) may cause adverse health effects. These include behavioral modification, physical impairment, or headaches from exposure to sub-anesthetic concentrations, as well as reproductive or hepatotoxic effects from chronic exposure. Therefore, it is important that when working with anesthetic gases personnel exposure is reduced by ensuring the following:
- Working in a vented fume hood or use proper gas delivery (i.e. precision vaporizer) and scavenging equipment (e.g. charcoal canister). Gas must not be vented into the room. All equipment must be maintained according to the manufacturers recommendations and documentation of proper maintenance retained in the laboratory. For recommendations regarding the proper equipment for gas anesthesia please contact the VSC.
- Ensure a tight seal around the animal’s face when using an anesthetic mask.
- Inspect and clean anesthetic masks, nose cones, and induction chambers immediately before and after use to ensure a proper fit and working condition with an oxidizing disinfectant to minimize cross-contamination.
- All personnel must be properly trained in the use of anesthetic gases.
If you have concerns about exposure to anesthetic gases you should contact Environmental Health and Safety (723-7487) to arrange to have your laboratory and personnel monitored.
Formulary
Suggested dosages for pre-anesthetics, tranquilizers, anesthetics, and analgesics are provided at the end of this section. Additional dosages may also be found at
http://www.aclam.org/print/formulary1-pref_abbrev_dose-est.pdf
http://www.aclam.org/print/formulary2-analg_sed.pdf
http://www.aclam.org/print/formulary3-anesthetics.pdf
Please consult with a VSC veterinarian before you implement any anesthetic or analgesic program into your research. Guidelines on rodent survival surgery, surgical anesthetic monitoring, etc., are available from the A-PLAC
https://www.stanford.edu/dept/DoR/compliance/labanimals/guidelines/
