Anaesthesia for head trauma patients

Abstract

There are many reasons anaesthetising a patient with head trauma may be required. These include for diagnostic imaging, surgery, or it may be required in severe cases to control the patient's ventilation. Many anaesthetic agents cause changes to the blood flow to the brain and therefore may cause further detriment to the patient. Thus, the veterinary nurse assisting the veterinary surgeon with these cases requires a thorough understanding of the physiology of head trauma and the effects of anaesthetic agents on cerebral blood flow, intracranial pressure and the cardiac and respiratory systems, as well as possible neuroprotective benefits that can be gained from the use of some agents.