The purpose of general anesthesia is to provide analgesia, unconsciousness, muscle relaxation and suppression of autonomic and somatic reflexes. A patient with cardiac disease may require general anesthesia for angiography or angioplasty or for another reason unrelated to the heart. Safe anesthesia requires careful evaluation of the cardiopulmonary system. A preanesthetic work up should include a complete physical exam, blood work, an electrocardiogram and thoracic radiographs. The hemodynamic changes expected with heart disease need to be reviewed along with the effects of the cardiac drugs used to treat the condition. The potential interaction of these drugs with anesthetic agents also needs to be considered. An arrhythmia needs to be identified and treated before anesthesia. These animals may be a challenge to anesthetize.

Among the more recent biological tools being proposed and studied for dairy and swine management programs is somatotropin (growth hormone or GH). Advocates claim that somatotropin improves efficiency and thus decreases the cost of production in dairy cows and growing swine. With Food and Drug Administration (F&DA) approval of bovine somatotropin (SST) expected within the year in the United States and approval of porcine somatotropin (PST) being sought, food animal veterinarians need to be knowledgeable of somatotropin and must be prepared to advise clients on the use of the product as a management tool.

The indices of volume 53 of the Iowa State University Veterinarian, as arranged by author and subject.

Photos of the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine in the academic year of 1990-1991.

This article contains news pertaining to alumni of the College of Veterinary Medicine.