Anesthesia and pain control.

Successful anesthetic management of the critically ill patient requires familiarity with the pharmacologic properties of a variety of anesthetic drugs. An understanding of the altered physiology present in the critically ill allows an anesthetic regimen to be selected that prevents an anesthetic-induced decompensation. Pain should never go untreated because of a fear of causing excessive physiologic depression. There are numerous options available to control pain. A technique suitable in one instance may be unsuitable in another; for example, an animal that has a significant degree of respiratory compromise may not tolerate the additional respiratory insult associated with narcotic use. A local anesthetic technique may be preferred in this situation. Often a local technique is all that is necessary to control postoperative pain. Furthermore, if pain is controlled for the first 4 to 6 h post-insult, often no further analgesic drugs need to be administered.