Work

Influence of the anaesthetist´s perception on the evaluation of recovery quality in horses undergoing general anaesthesia

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background: In horses, anaesthetic recovery is evaluated using subjective scales. Previous studies examined the influence of scale type and evaluator-related factors but the impact of operator perception (unconscious bias) has received limited attention. Objectives: To analyse the influence of operator perception on recovery scoring. Methods: Anaesthetic recoveries at an equine hospital (May 2019-May 2023) were assessed in real time (RT) by attending anaesthetists and retrospectively using video recordings (VR) by a single evaluator. Horses aged 1 - 21 years undergoing a single anesthetic procedure with complete video recordings were included. Recovery quality was scored using a simple scale (SS; 1 = excellent to 5 = dangerous) and a detailed scale (DS; 0 = very violent to 5 = no ataxia). RT and VR were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. A secondary analysis included only cases evaluated by the same anaesthetist in both conditions. Exploratory analyses assessed influences of time of day, procedure, anaesthesia duration, number of standing attempts and grouped recovery categories. Analyses were performed using SPSS (IBM) (p < 0.05). Results: Of 262 recoveries, 154 met inclusion criteria. VR scores were significantly worse than RT assessment for both scales [SS: 2 (IQR: 1); DS: 4 (IQR: 1)], including same-evaluator cases [SS: 2 (IQR: 2); DS: 4 (IQR: 1)]. Discrepancies persisted across most subgroups but were not observed in unsatisfactory recoveries, or for DS scores during nighttime or horses presenting ≥3 standing attempts. Conclusions: Anaesthetists tend to assign more favourable scores when evaluating their own patients in RT, suggesting an optimism bias.

Source: Veterinary and Animal Science

DOI: 10.1016/j.vas.2026.100899

Authors: Leire Benavente-Sánchez, Marta Villalba-Díez, Carla Jaen-Garcia, Isabel Santiago-Llorente, María Villalba-Orero

Institution: Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Language: English

Topic: Veterinary Pharmacology and Anesthesia

Subfield: Small Animals

Field: Veterinary

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,780