Neurologic disease

Patients with diseases involving the nervous system often require anesthesia for diagnostic imaging, sample collection, or treatment of the disease pathology. Understanding the physiology and pathology of the nervous system is important when considering an anesthetic plan during which the goal should be optimization of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and perfusion and prevention of increases in intracranial pressure (ICP). Certain neurologic conditions may affect ventilatory centers; therefore, adequate oxygenation and ventilation must also be a priority. Opioids are an acceptable choice for premedication and analgesia in neurologic patients, as they have minimal direct effects on CBF and ICP. Intervertebral disc disease and vertebral trauma leading to spinal cord dysfunction are major causes of neurologic injury in smallanimal patients. The goals of anesthetic management should focus on using a balanced, multimodal approach while providing adequate analgesia. Dysautonomia is a rare idiopathic condition characterized by degeneration of neurons in the autonomic nervous system ganglia.