Prevalence of lung atelectasis in sedated dogs examined with computed tomography

Computed tomography (CT) scanning of the lung is known to be a valuable tool when investigating lung pathology of the dog. During CT-scan the dog needs to be immobilized and general anesthesia has historically been considered as gold standard although being a more expensive and time-consuming alternative to sedation. Today, modern high speed multidetector CT-scanners offer new possibilities for sedation as an alternative. Both anesthesia and sedation can cause lung atelectasis, and this can be problematic when reading the CT-images since it potentially can masque or mimic lung pathology leading to misdiagnosis. The objective of this prospective analytic study was to investigate the prevalence of lung atelectasis and changes in lung attenuation over time in dogs that receive intravenous sedation and positioned in sternal recumbency.

20 dogs without known lung pathology underwent three consecutive CT-scans of the lung; the first scan was initiated as soon as the dog was sufficiently sedated, the second scan approximately 5 min after the first one and the last scan after the dog's orthopaedic scan was completed. The dogs received intravenous sedation in a combination of dexmedetomidine and butorphanol and were kept positioned in a strict sternal recumbency during sedation and exam. Each lung lobe was individually examined in an axial plane and measurements of dorsal, ventral, and mean lung attenuation were made. Atelectasis or areas with poorly aerated lung tissue were not detected as all parts of the lobes were normally aerated at all three scans. A statistically significant increase in lung attenuation between the first and the second scan (P = 0.03) and between the first and the third scan (P = 0.0004) was seen in the ventral part of the lobes.

This study indicates that CT-examination of the lungs can be performed on sedated dogs that are kept in a sternal recumbency without development of atelectasis. It also suggests that there is an early correlation between time and increase in lung attenuation.