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Indications | Patient Preparation | Time Requirements | Fees | Practical Considerations
Scheduling | Reports | Sedation

The Sedation Question

Many clients and clinics ask if sedation will be needed for an ultrasound exam. In most circumstances, the answer is no. We prefer not to give any drugs to patients undergoing a cardiac scan as this makes the results easier to interpret although the consequences of extreme patient anxiety and tachycardia can create equal difficulty in interpretation and require an anxiolytic drug. Most abdominal scans, with or without fine needle aspirate, can be completed without the need for sedation. There are circumstances that make sedation/analgesia preferable or absolutely necessary: Very nervous patients that will not allow shaving or restraint without struggling or suffering great anxiety; patients undergoing a Tru-cut biopsy to control patient movement when the biopsy needle is in the abdomen; patients that are painful. If you are particularly interested in images of the adrenal glands some sedation will be helpful in providing you with the best images and information. Good images of the adrenal glands require a fair amount of pressure on the abdomen to bring the probe within 2 -3 cm of the glands. When needed, a butorphanol/acepromazine combination has worked well for most dogs. When greater control and/or analgesia are needed, a narcotic/tranquilizer combination is my personal choice, although panting can be a problem with some opioids. For cats, an inhalant is usually the most convenient choice. Ultimately, the decision is up to the referring doctor.