Podcast: Locoregional Anesthesia Complications with Dr. Bennett
Katherine Bennett, DVM, DACVAA, Veterinary Specialty Center, Buffalo Grove, Illinois
In this episode, host Alyssa Watson, DVM, is joined by Katherine Bennett, DVM, DACVAA, to talk about her recent Clinician’s Brief article, “Locoregional Anesthesia Complications.” Dr. Bennett shares her knowledge about using local blocks to your patient’s advantage, including when to use lidocaine versus bupivacaine (but not mixing) and how these drugs actually work. She also details the problems that can ensue from local blocks and handling the complications.
Key Takeaways
If it needs to work fast, use lidocaine; if it needs to last long, use bupivacaine; don’t mix them.
Bupivacaine needs at least 10-15 minutes for adequate onset.
Every local block syringe deserves a label.
IV lipids are the treatment of choice for systemic toxicity from local anesthetics.
Cats are at higher risk for developing systemic toxicity.
Insufficient volume, ineffective placement, or abnormal tissue pH can all cause local blocks to fail.
Local blocks must cover 3 consecutive nodes of Ranvier in order to interrupt transmission.
About the Guest
Katherine Bennett, DVM, DACVAA, works at Veterinary Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Dr. Bennett earned her DVM from Purdue University and completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship at Washington State University and an anesthesia and analgesia residency at University of Tennessee. Her interests are in anesthesia and pain management with a focus on aggressive patients, opioid-free anesthesia, and locoregional anesthesia.
Contact us:
Podcast@briefmedia.com
Where to find us:
Twitter: @cliniciansbrief
Instagram: @clinicians.brief
The Team:
Alyssa Watson, DVM - Host
Alexis Ussery - Producer & Digital Content Coordinator
Randall Stupka - Podcast Production & Sound Editing