Is it cold in here? Hypothermia under anaesthesia: Hypothermia is one of the most common complications that occur during anaesthesia. This session explores why hypothermia occurs; why do we need to worry about hypothermia – what are the negative effects?; prevention is better than cure!; heat loss is more likely to occur during certain periods during the patients anaesthetic journey – when are these and what are the most suitable strategies to combat this heat loss during these different periods?; the evidence behind some patient warming modalities; the importance of safety and the prevention of patient harm from warming devices – what strategies can be used to prevent these events?; what techniques are available to monitor temperature? The aim is to provide practical hints and tips that can be translated into day to day clinical practise.

Get the suction! Regurgitation under anaesthesia: Why do patients regurgitate during anaesthesia? How do we recognise that a patient has regurgitated? And what should we do when it happens? This session reviews reflux and regurgitation during anaesthesia in dogs and cats, exploring the literature to enable us to best focus our management of this situation. Reflux and regurgitation are common anaesthetic complications, requiring recognition and treatment to reduce the risk of unwanted sequelae. The number of cases of sequelae reported is low, but the development of an oesophageal or nasopharyngeal stricture, or oesophagitis can prolong hospitalisation and increase patient morbidity. What is the best approach to managing this complication – is suctioning the oesophagus alone enough, or should we be flushing with water/saline and administering any medications? What signs can we look out for to warn us that a patient has regurgitated, when is it most likely to happen and are there any risk factors we should be aware of? Finally, the session explores whether any preventative or prophylactic measures can be helpful, and what, if any treatments to consider for at risk patients or for a particular procedure with an increased risk.