Anaesthesia and Critical Care

Anaesthesia in the LARIF is managed by a team of experienced veterinary anaesthetists and supported by equipment that meets current NHS standards.

The critical care unit specialises in prolonged anaesthesia and intensive care for large animals. This enables sophisticated and humane research while maintaining stable physiological conditions. 

We can accommodate up to four anaesthetised animals simultaneously, each monitored with a comprehensive suite of equipment equivalent to that used in human intensive care units. Situated adjacent to the imaging suites, this offers integration of intensive care with diagnostic imaging. 

Three beds surrounded by anaeasthesia and monitoring equipment in surgical facility for large animals.

Team

Animals housed in the unit receive expert care from a team of veterinary anaesthetists, all of whom are current, or prospective, Specialists* in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia.

The team is experienced in anaesthetising pigs, sheep and cattle, which underpins our commitment to refining animal studies. This approach reduces the animal numbers required to meet scientific objectives, promoting both ethical and scientific excellence.

*Specialists are recognised by the European Board of Veterinary Specialties and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Studies

Through this specialised care environment, the unit supports high-impact translational research aimed at improving both animal and human health.

The unit enables the study of:

  • Acute lung and kidney injury models
  • Development and validation of new neurosurgical and imaging techniques
  • Drug effects, including toxins and their antagonists
  • Emerging biotechnologies, with applications in gastrointestinal disease diagnosis, human resuscitation, lung and brain cancer treatment, physiological and pathophysiological measurement, and treatment of human cataracts
  • Organ donation and transplantation research
  • Stem-cell therapies

Equipment

Features of the unit are:

  • Aestiva® workstations
  • data collection hardware
  • infusion controllers
  • intensive care, or anaesthetic, lung ventilators
  • physiological monitors
  • syringe drivers
  • warm air blowers

Anaesthetic management and data integrity are optimised through multi-channel monitoring platforms:

Additional supportive monitoring: body temperature is managed with probes and warm-air blowing systems. Normothermia (or otherwise) is maintained to minimise physiological disturbances. 

Bispectral index (BIS) monitoring: although developed for human use, the BIS monitors used in the unit have proven useful in pigs and sheep. They have identified cerebrocortical activity changes resulting from changes in anaesthetic drug delivery, cerebral blood flow and blood toxin levels.

Cardiac output and hemodynamic monitoring: each monitor can monitor, record and display arterial, venous and pulmonary arterial pressures. Data input into MostCareUP devices allows the real-time computation of cardiac output (and index) systemic vascular resistance, stroke volume, PPV, and ventricular dP/dt. 

Datex capnomac/Datex‑ohmeda gas analysers: these monitor and analyse inhaled and exhaled anaesthetic gases, and inspired and end‑tidal CO2 and O2. This provides insight into the adequacy of lung ventilation, anaesthetic machine and breathing system function and anaesthetic depth.

Pulse oximetry and ECG: integrated pulse oximeters deliver continuous arterial oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and heart rate data, enabling immediate detection of hypoxemia or circulatory compromise. Electrocardiographic monitoring is used for heart rhythm surveillance and for gating during imaging.  

Non-invasive blood pressure measurement: this is achieved in suitable situations, e.g., recovering or conscious animals using standard oscillometric techniques. 

Why does monitoring matter? 

Anaesthetic techniques can significantly affect physiological variables, which affect research outcomes. Multi-modal monitoring, when used by experienced anaesthetists, allows responses to be made to changing conditions. This mitigates the risks by enabling real-time detection and correction of physiological deviations, ensuring both animal welfare and the validity of experimental data.

The unit was previously known as as the Wellcome Trust Critical Care Laboratory for Large Animals (WTCCLLA).

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