If an animal undergoes a surgical procedure under anaesthesia and is euthanised before recovering consciousness, the development of postoperative infection may still be a problem if the period of anaesthesia is prolonged (e.g. greater than 12 hours). In any non-recovery surgery minimising bacterial contamination of the surgical field is still important because inoculation of the wound with large numbers of bacteria will produce physiological changes in the animal that may influence experimental results. Observing the principles of aseptic technique is the most effective way of minimising bacterial contamination during surgery.
Acute, non-recovery surgery
Articles in this Category
- An introduction to experimental surgery
- Advance preparations for surgery
- An introduction to aseptic technique
- Preparing for surgery – the surgical team
- Preparing for surgery – the animal
- Examining the myth that rodents do not get post-operative infection
- Compromising on full asepsis – batch surgery
- Preparing for surgery – the operating theatre and atmosphere
- Preparing for surgery – equipment
- Peri-operative antibiotics and post-operative infection
- An introduction to the principles of surgical technique
- Surgical technique – incisions
- Surgical technique – haemostasis
- Surgical technique – wounds
- An introduction to suture techniques
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