Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals - Office of ...

VETERINARy CARE 115RecordkeepingMedical records are a key element of the veterinary care program andare considered critical for documenting animal well-being as well as trackinganimal care and use at a facility. A veterinarian should be involved inestablishing, reviewing, and overseeing medical and animal use records(Field et al. 2007; Suckow and Doerning 2007). All those involved in animalcare and use must comply with federal laws and regulations regardinghuman and veterinary drugs and treatments. Drug records and storage proceduresshould be reviewed during facility inspections.SURGERySuccessful surgical outcomes require appropriate attention to presurgicalplanning, personnel training, anesthesia, aseptic and surgical technique,assessment of animal well-being, appropriate use of analgesics, and animalphysiologic status during all phases of a protocol involving surgery andpostoperative care (see Appendix A, Anesthesia, Pain, and Surgery). Theindividual impact of those factors will vary according to the complexity ofprocedures involved and the species of animal used. A team approach to asurgical project often increases the likelihood of a successful outcome byproviding input from persons with different expertise (Brown and Schofield1994; Brown et al. 1993).Surgical outcomes should be continually and thoroughly assessed toensure that appropriate procedures are followed and timely correctivechanges are instituted. Modification of standard techniques may be required(for instance, in aquatic or field surgery), but should not compromise thewell-being of the animals. In the event of modification, close assessmentof outcomes may have to incorporate criteria other than clinical morbidityand mortality. Such assessments rely on continuing communication amongtechnical staff, investigators, veterinarians, and the IACUC.TrainingResearchers conducting surgical procedures must have appropriate trainingto ensure that good surgical technique is practiced—that is, asepsis, gentletissue handling, minimal dissection of tissue, appropriate use of instruments,effective hemostasis, and correct use of suture materials and patterns (Brownet al. 1993; Heon et al. 2006). Training may have to be tailored to accommodatethe wide range of educational backgrounds frequently encounteredin research settings. For example, persons trained in human surgery mayneed training in interspecies variations in anatomy, physiology, the effectsof anesthetic and analgesic drugs, and/or postoperative care requirements.