Positioning the stifle for the medio-lateral view requires the patient to be in lateral recumbency , with the limb of interest on the underside , against the radiography plate . The contralateral limb is drawn cranially and positioned slightly dorsally over the patient ' s body using a sandbag or tie . A foam pad or a sandbag can then be placed under the pelvis of the limb being radiographed . The stifle on the radiography plate is in a neutral position [ 7 ] .
The patient ' s body will have direct contact with the radiography table , radiography plate and sandbags or wedges , without any thermal covering over the caudal aspect of their body . A thermal covering cannot be used , as it is important that the patient ' s body is visible in order to ensure correct positioning and obtain an image of diagnostic quality . The image should not be obscured by any other structure , whether anatomical or a warming device [ 8 ] .
Positioning for a caudo-cranial view of the stifle requires the patient to be in lateral recumbency cranially , with the limb of interest on the underside , but in sternal recumbency caudally . Foam pads or sandbags are placed under the pelvis to ensure the patella of interest is placed on the radiography plate without the full force of the patient ' s bodyweight on the joint as this can distort the patient ’ s anatomy [ 7 ] . The contralateral limb is retracted cranially by flexing and raising with a foam block or sandbags so the patellar groove of the
affected limb is balanced centrally [ 7 ] . The patient ' s tail must be moved out of view . This may be done with the use of tape , ties or sandbags , depending on the length of the tail and the patient ' s coat type . Again , these foam pads and sandbags make direct contact with the patient to maintain stability , and the cranial aspect of the patient also has direct contact with the radiography table . Thermal coverings cannot be used during the positioning of the patient for this view , as the patient ' s anatomy is used as a visual aid to ensure good positioning and beam collimation .
Once adequate diagnostic images had been obtained , a second rectal temperature was taken and recorded . The patient recovered from anaesthesia in a recovery kennel with a fleece bed on top of a heat pad and a blanket over them . This is considered to be active warming , the process by which external heat is applied to the skin and peripheral tissues [ 9 ] . Once the patient was sitting up , they were offered food and discharged from the practice 2 hours after eating . It was at this point that a final rectal temperature was obtained .
Results of data collection
During the 3-month period , of the 14 patients audited , 100 % had experienced a reduction in body temperature during the process of obtaining orthogonal views of the affected stifle . Figure 1 demonstrates that the average temperature of the patients on admission was 38.25 ° C . This was reduced on average by 1.15 ° C , to 37.1 ° C , when they were returned to their recovery kennel and started to receive active warming . The average temperature loss across the 14 patients was 1.0 ° C from the time of admission to the time of discharge .
Figure 2 . Comparing temperatures according to duration of anaesthesia and number of radiographs taken .
32 Veterinary Nursing Journal