Aspiration pneumonia: assessing the risk of regurgitation in the cat

Depending on the population characteristics, 12 to 80 per cent of patients undergoing elective surgery exceed the current risk criteria for aspiration pneumonitis (gastric volume greater than or equal to 0.4 ml.kg-1 and pH less than or equal to 2.5), in sharp contrast to the actual incidence of the disorder, estimated at 0.01 per cent. Improved specificity would likely result if the risk of regurgitation was also considered, in addition to the volume and pH criteria. As a first attempt to assess the risk of regurgitation under general anaesthesia, we measured the minimal gastric volume (VR) required to produce regurgitation in cats anaesthetized with ketamine. The mean was 20.8 ml.kg-1 (n = 7, range: 8-41, SD = 7.8). We conclude that the residual gastric volume needed to produce a regurgitation under general anaesthesia is at least 20 times greater than the volume required to produce pulmonary damage by intratracheal injection (0.3 ml.kg-1, assuming a pH of 2.5 or less).