Table 1 . Objectives of the study .
Airway management
Determine which airway management methods are commonly used for feline neutering procedures
Determine why different airway management methods are used
ETT intubation
Determine which methods are used for ETT intubation
Determine why a feline patient may not be intubated with an ETT for elective neutering procedures
ETHICS
Ethical approval by Social Science Research Ethical Review Board ( Royal Veterinary College ): SR2020-0295 .
Results
Five responses were excluded where open-ended questions were not answered , leaving 885 responses for data analysis . Of these , 56.3 % ( n = 498 ) were VSs and 43.7 % ( n = 387 ) were VNs . The median length of time qualified was 6 years ( ranging from less than 1 year to over 40 years ). Of the responses , 98.8 % ( n = 874 ) had experience intubating cats , with 72.2 % ( n = 639 ) of these never having experienced a complication when intubating or as a result of intubation .
Determine whether the airway management method used aligns with the veterinary professional ' s preference
Materials and methods
The target population was VSs and VNs registered with the RCVS and working in UK small animal practice . Prior to the study , a power analysis was performed to determine the sample size required to have sufficient power for reliable statistical analysis . The margin of error and confidence level were set at 5 % and 95 % respectively , with the sample proportion set at 50 %. Based on the calculation , a sample size of 381 respondents would yield the desired power .
This study utilised a Jisc survey , consisting of 20 open and closed questions to explore common methods of airway management used in practice . The questions were divided into four sections : airway management , intubation , personal experience with intubation and demographics .
Data collected included common methods of airway management used in practice , why these methods were used and whether they were in line with the veterinary professionals ' personal preferences . Additionally , data were collected on how intubation is performed , the reasons why intubation may not be performed and if any negative experiences with intubation had occurred . The survey was distributed via Facebook groups related to the veterinary profession and anaesthesia .
DATA ANALYSIS
Determine whether veterinary professionals have experienced complications with ETT intubation
Open-ended questions received varying responses so were categorised via content analysis . Statistical analysis used SPSS software with a statistical significance level set at p ≤ 0.05 . Chi-square and Kruskal – Wallis analysis were used where appropriate . Categorical variables were recoded as necessary to allow for Kruskal – Wallis testing . Variables were grouped ( as reported in the results ) where possible , if low cell counts were present .
General airway management results
AIRWAY MANAGEMENT METHODS COMMONLY USED IN PRACTICE
The most used airway management methods in each participant ' s practice were recorded in this study for both cat castrations and cat spays ( Table 2 ).
The most common methods for castrations were masks ( 40.5 % ( n = 358 )), ETTs ( 36.2 % ( n = 320 )) and no airway management ( 22 % ( n = 195 )). Responses in the category ‘ Other ’ included : ‘ the choice was patient dependent ’, ‘ older vets typically choose no airway management ’ and ‘ the patient was only provided with flow by oxygen ’. The majority of participants utilised ETTs for spays ( 94.2 % ( n = 834 )) and the category ‘ Other ’ contained responses such as : ‘ a mixture of practices used ’ and ‘ ETTs only used for unexpectedly long surgeries ’.
Table 2 . Airway management methods used for cat castrations and cat spays .
Airway management method
Endotracheal tube
Number of cases
Castrations
36.2 % ( n = 320 )
Mask 40.5 % ( n = 358 )
v-gel device 0.8 % ( n = 7 )
No airway management
22.0 % ( n = 195 )
Other 0.6 % ( n = 5 )
Spays
94.2 % ( n = 834 )
2.5 % ( n = 22 )
1.2 % ( n = 11 )
1.8 % ( n = 16 )
0.2 % ( n = 2 )
Volume 38 ( 1 ) • February 2023
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