Sarah Little is an anaesthesia assistant at the University of Edinburgh’s Small Animal Hospital, part of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.  As part of Technician Week 2024, she is sharing what a day in her role looks like.

The first thing I do when I arrive in the anaesthesia department at 8:30am is prepare kennels for our patients and restock – this includes drugs, fluids, needles, syringes, etc. It’s usually a very busy time as both staff and students try to prepare for their cases, along with various departments dropping off their patients for us to examine. All of our patients get a clinical examination prior to the anaesthetist and student discussing their plan with the anaesthesia senior. This is due to various factors that can be affected by both the pre-medication and induction agent, which will render then unconscious for their procedure. Things such as age, behaviour, health, and species can play a big part in what drugs will be given to that particular patient.

We primarily see canine patients, but today I helped one of our anaesthetists with a feline patient who was getting an MRI to investigate her vestibular episodes. Thankfully we have a designated cat ward in the hospital, meaning that our feline patients won’t be as stressed if they were hospitalised alongside canine patients. We have a cat induction room in the anaesthesia department, as we need to be very careful when handling cats so that they don’t escape when out of their basket. One of my roles, and one I consider to be one of my most important, is handling.  For our canine patients I usually assess how they are feeling based on their body language. Some dogs want to be left alone and I respect their wishes as much as I possibly can. I only have a short period of time to try and bond with our patients as I try to show them that I am not a threat. With cats, unless they really want to come out and say hello, I usually keep them in their basket so that they feel more comfortable. The only restraint that is required is a blanket or towel covering them before they are given their pre-medication. Whilst the anaesthetist was preparing some things, I kept an eye on the cat to make sure that she was still breathing fine, as pre-medicating can still pose a risk to the patient as they may lower their head and stop breathing or vomit. Once she was sedated enough, I took her out of the basket and gently restrained her whilst the anaesthetist inserted an intravenous catheter in her leg, which will give access to a vein for any medication that needs to be administered, such as the induction agent.

We induced the patient in the CT Hub – an area where we mostly anaesthetise patients undergoing a CT or MRI scan. One of my roles whilst helping the anaesthetist is putting monitoring equipment on the patient, such as blood pressure, ECG pads, and pulse oximeter. This tells the anaesthetist the heart rate, percentage of oxygenation, and other factors which describe how the patient is doing. Once I had helped get the patient into the MRI scanner, I helped prepare anaesthetic machines and trays for the patients coming in later. The machines need to have appropriate levels of anaesthetic gases and oxygen as well as the correct breathing system based on the breed, species, and weight. Trays contain the necessary equipment needed to insert an intravenous catheter and intubation. Some of our more critical patients may require more equipment, but I will always liaise with the team to ensure everything is prepared and ready. In-between all of these tasks, I will keep an eye on stock levels for both consumables and drugs, as we can go through a lot very quickly.

Later in the afternoon, we had a Dachshund who was in recovery after his surgery to remove a foreign body; all of our patients are monitored by our amazing anaesthesia nurses after their general anaesthetic, ensuring that they are kept comfortable and warm. Occasionally our patients get a bit upset when in recovery as they don’t know or understand where they are, so in these situations I will sit with the patient to reassure them. This isn’t always what the patient requires or wants, but in some instances a bit of attention is all that is needed to help settle them down. With our Dachshund patient who started howling, once I sat in with him, he settled down shortly after I entered his cage.  Our patients either go home later that day or depending on their condition and the procedure, they may have to stay in for a few days. In these situations, once our patients are awake enough, they will be taken through to one of our wards After the Dachshund was well enough to go to wards, we had another lovely patient arrive, a Springer Spaniel who was in for a CT scan. Those who know me will know that I love all Spaniels, as I used to own two. She was a bit nervous, so I ensured that I wasn’t encroaching in her space too much – just enough to give her some love! Thankfully she appreciated the sentiment as I was fortunate enough to receive a wagging tail! She was going home that afternoon so I helped the anaesthesia nurse remove her intravenous catheter and offer her a little bit of chicken, which she politely declined.

After our patients have left, I wipe down their kennel and ensure it is clean and dry, ready for our next patient. Infection control is a really important aspect of not just our job, but for everyone working in the veterinary profession – even reception have a part, cleaning up any accidents that may occur in the waiting room. Whenever I get a moment away from the clinical side of my role, I help out with the Career Development Committee, HFSA Sustainability Committee, Vet School Athena Swan Subcommittee, and volunteer with both Easter Bush Peer Support and Lifeboat. Lifeboat is a peer support space from Not One More Vet, and I’m very proud to call myself a volunteer, helping veterinary professionals from all over the world. Once I have caught up with that, I usually check to make sure our cases for the day have been priced and their general anaesthetic record scanned. Before finishing at 5:30pm I try to make sure that we are as prepared as we can be for the next busy day!

To find our more about Sarah’s role as an anaesthesia assistant, her nomination for a 2023 Technician Award and her work with vet charity Lifeboat, check out our new podcast Technically Edinburgh, where Sarah joins us for our very first episode.

Technician Week 2024: A Day in the Life of an Anaesthesia Assistant – Sarah Little / University of Edinburgh Technicians by blogadmin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0

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