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

VETERINARy CARE11Specific sterilization methods should be selected on the basis of thephysical characteristics of the materials to be sterilized (Callahan et al. 1995;Schofield 1994) and sterilization indicators should be used to validate thatmaterials have been properly sterilized (Berg 1993). Autoclaving and plasmaand gas sterilization are effective methods most commonly used to sterilizeinstruments and materials. Alternative methods, used primarily for rodentsurgery, include liquid chemical sterilants and dry heat sterilization. Liquidchemical sterilants should be used with appropriate contact times and instrumentsshould be rinsed with sterile water or saline before use. Bead or dryheat sterilizers are an effective and convenient means of rapidly sterilizingthe working surfaces of surgical instruments but care should be taken toensure that the instrument surfaces have cooled sufficiently before touchinganimal tissues to minimize the risk of burns. Alcohol is neither a sterilantnor a high-level disinfectant (Rutala 1990) but may be acceptable for someprocedures if prolonged contact times are used (Huerkamp 2002).Intraoperative MonitoringCareful monitoring and timely attention to problems increase the likelihoodof a successful surgical outcome (Kuhlman 2008). Monitoring includesroutine evaluation of anesthetic depth and physiologic functions and conditions,such as body temperature, cardiac and respiratory rates and pattern(Flegal et al. 2009), and blood pressure (Kuhlman 2008), and shouldbe appropriately documented. Use of balanced anesthesia, including theaddition of an intraoperative analgesic agent, can help minimize physiologicfluctuations during surgery. Maintenance of normal body temperatureminimizes cardiovascular and respiratory disturbances caused by anestheticagents (Dardai and Heavner 1987; Flegal et al. 2009; Fox et al. 2008), andis of particular importance in small animals where the high ratio of surfacearea to body weight may easily lead to hypothermia. Fluid replacement maybe a necessary component of intraoperative therapy depending on the durationand nature of the procedure. For aquatic species (including amphibians),care should be taken to keep the skin surfaces moist and minimizedrying during surgical procedures.Postoperative CareAn important component of postsurgical care is observation of theanimal and intervention as necessary during recovery from anesthesia andsurgery (Haskins and Eisele 1997). The intensity of monitoring will varywith the species and the procedure and may be greater during the immediateanesthetic recovery period. During this period, animals should be in aclean, dry, and comfortable area where they can be observed frequently by