Your monthly update and overview of recently released veterinary studies
Welcome to our monthly VetLit Clinical Publication update, where Dr Simon Cook, founder of VetLit.org, provides an overview and update on recently released studies from a wide range of veterinary publications.
Study: RECOVER Guidelines: Newborn Resuscitation in Dogs and Cats. Clinical Guidelines (Journal of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care) – Open Access
About the Study
Please do read these guidelines! Newborn puppies and kittens are resilient little creatures, and there are some very practical guidelines here, eg, for the first minute after birth, that will undoubtedly improve success rates if implemented.
I include just a couple of points here:
Possibly the most important concept is the prioritisation of positive pressure ventilation (via tight fitting mask) in non-vigorous, bradycardic (< 120 bpm) animals. This reflects the importance of lung expansion, and that the bradycardia is hypoxia mediated. A positive response to positive pressure ventilation should occur within one minute.
Where CPR is initiated (for example if severe bradycardia < 50 bpm persists or no detectable heart beat), compression rates of 120-150 per minute are recommended. When unintubated, these are interrupted to secure positive pressure breaths at a ratio of one breath to every four compressions. If intubated, compressions and breaths can occur concurrently, with a ventilation rate of 20-30 breaths per minute.
The suggested dose for epinephrine during CPR is 0.01–0.03 mg/kg IV/IO. This could be for when CPA is present or when severe bradycardia (< 50 bpm) persists despite that positive pressure ventilation and compressions have been initiated (suggested after one minute of CPR with no increase in heart rate).
