Abstract
Simple SummaryMagnetic resonance imaging examinations require general anesthesia, and it is difficult to prevent a decrease in body temperature because a machine for warming the body cannot be placed in the magnetic resonance imaging room, which must have a low room temperature. In this study, we created a heat insulating device that does not affect magnetic resonance imaging and examined the effectiveness of this device for dogs and cats undergoing magnetic resonance imaging examinations. In the dogs and cats wearing bubble wrap and down cloth blanket, the decrease in body temperature was minimal. The heat insulating device developed in this study protected the animals from the cold air and prevented heat loss from the body surface, minimizing a decrease in body temperature. The results obtained in this study suggest that dogs and cats requiring magnetic resonance imaging can be protected from hypothermia due to general anesthesia without the need for special machinery.Dogs and cats under general anesthesia may develop hypothermia. When performing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination, it is not possible to place a magnetic material in the MRI room, and MRI equipment requires a low room temperature. This study investigated the effectiveness of a heat insulating device that prevented hypothermia during MRI examinations in dogs and cats. The animals that underwent MRI examinations under general anesthesia were divided into control groups (no covering) and heat insulating groups (wearing bubble wrap and down cloth blankets), and their body temperatures were measured before and after the MRI examinations. The changes in body temperatures were as follows: control dogs (n = 17), median of −1.0 (from −2.5 to 0.3) °C; heat insulated dogs (n = 7), −0.3 (from −0.8 to 0.2) °C; control cats (n = 14), −1.85 (from −2.7 to −0.6) °C; and heat insulated cats (n = 12), −0.8 (from −1.5 to −0.1) °C. These results revealed that the bubble wrap and down cloth blanket significantly prevented hypothermia and heat loss from the body surface during MRI examinations of dogs and cats.
Highlights
Hypothermia is a very common complication in dogs and cats under anesthesia and is reported to occur in approximately 40% of anesthetized animals [1,2,3,4]
The results reported on the prevention of hypothermia in veterinary medicine have often been from surgical studies [11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18]
A decrease in body temperature was significantly prevented in the heat insulating group compared to the control group (p < 0.05, Mann–Whitney U test). (a) indicates dogs; (b) indicates cats
Summary
Hypothermia is a very common complication in dogs and cats under anesthesia and is reported to occur in approximately 40% of anesthetized animals [1,2,3,4]. Various heating and heat insulating methods for dogs and cats under anesthesia management are being studied [11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18]. In veterinary medicine, as well as in human medicine, it has been clarified that hypothermia can be effectively prevented using a warm air heating device or an electric heat mat during surgery [15,16]. At our veterinary hospital, we use hot water bottles made from infusion bags to warm animals, but it is difficult to prevent hypothermia at the end of the MRI exam. It is important to investigate heat insulating materials that are effective in preventing a decrease in body temperature in MRI acquisition using remote monitoring and care, where a device for warming the body cannot be installed. We compared animals wearing bubble wrap and down cloth blanket with animals without them
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