DLAM

Anesthetic Records for USDA Regulated Non Rodent Species

This memo is intended to provide guidance to investigators for properly completing anesthetic records in compliance with USDA and NYS regulations.

Complete anesthetic records must be kept on all USDA regulated animals undergoing general anesthesia for both survival and nonsurvival experimental procedures. Investigators who perform their own anesthesia are responsible for making sure that complete records are maintained on their animal patients. In addition to providing assessment of a patient's condition, anesthetic records serve as a reference if the same patient requires anesthesia again, as well as a document for review for determining the cause of an unexpected intra-op death. Among the items which should be charted are:

• Investigator's name, IACUC#, type and date of procedure

• Animal ID#, species, body weight and prep-op condition

• Pre-anesthetic medication, dose, route and time of administration

• Anesthetic agent, dose, route and time of adminstration

• Monitored parameters of anesthetic depth and physiologic function, i.e. mucous membrane color, respiratory rate, heart rate and temperature, as well as the presence/absence of various reflexes. This data should be documented at the frequent regular intervals as indicated in your UCAR protocol.

• Parenteral fluid therapy - type of solution, route and total volume administered

• Any anesthetic complications and methods of correction

Please complete an anesthetic form for all experimental procedures requiring anesthesia and provide a copy to the Animal Resource Office within 24 hours of completion of the procedure. Members of the DLAM veterinary staff are available (Ext. 5-2653) if you have any questions about anesthetic monitoring and/or documentation. In addition, one of the veterinarians and/or licensed veterinary technicians will schedule visits to your laboratory to guide you through compliance with these regulatory issues.