For castrations , 32.5 % ( n = 162 ) of VSs and 40.8 % ( n = 158 ) of VNs opted for ETTs , and 40.7 % ( n = 203 ) of VSs and 40 % ( n = 155 ) of VNs used masks . A total of 25.5 % ( n = 127 ) of VSs and 17.5 % ( n = 68 ) of VNs used no airway management .
Additionally , testing for an association between the type of professional and airway management methods used for castrations ( Table 6 ) and spays ( Table 7 ) was also carried out .
Chi-square analysis showed a significant association between airway management for cat castrations and the type of veterinary professional ( p = 0.01 ).
Table 6 . Airway management used for cat castrations by different types of veterinary professional .
Castration airway management
Type of professional VS
VN
ETT 162 158
Mask 203 155
No airway management
127 68
Other 6 6
Table 7 . Airway management used for cat spays by different types of veterinary professional .
Type of professional
VS
VN
ETT 469 365
For spays , 94.1 % ( n = 469 ) of VSs and 94.3 % ( n = 365 ) of VNs used ETTs . The category ‘ Other ’ included the use of v-gel devices for both procedures .
No significant association was found between the airway management methods used for cat spays and the type of veterinary professional ( p = 0.68 ).
Endotracheal intubation results
METHODS USED FOR INTUBATION USING ETTS
Participants were asked which methods they used for ETT placement , if they used cuffed or non-cuffed tubes , and how the cuff was inflated .
A laryngoscope was used for visualisation by 66.9 % ( n = 592 ) of respondents , 97.9 % ( n = 866 ) used lidocaine hydrochloride or similar for desensitisation , and 34.6 % ( n = 306 ) used lubrication for the endotracheal tube ( Figure 3 , opposite page ).
Cuffed endotracheal tubes were used by 38.2 % ( n = 339 ) of respondents , but 8.8 % ( n = 30 ) of these do not inflate the cuff . Cuff inflation methods were explored and the results are detailed in Table 8 . The most common response was that ETT cuffs were inflated via leak testing with the minimal occlusive volume method ( 72.4 %). The response ‘ Other ’ included methods such as a set amount of air and subjective assessment .
Table 8 . Cuff inflation methods .
Method
Leak test with minimal occlusive volume
Number of responses
72.3 % ( n = 245 )
Cuff inflator and manometer 12.7 % ( n = 43 )
Do not inflate 8.8 % ( n = 30 )
Other 5.0 % ( n = 17 )
Pilot balloon palpation 1.2 % ( n = 4 )
Spay airway management
Mask 11 11
Other 18 11
REASONS WHY CATS UNDERGOING NEUTERING PROCEDURES WERE NOT INTUBATED WITH ETTS
Participants were asked how often cats undergoing neutering procedures were intubated with ETTs . The responses stated that 26.2 % ( n = 232 ) of cat castrations and 92.0 % ( n = 814 ) of cat spays were performed with ETT intubation .
44 Veterinary Nursing Journal