[Anesthesia in experimental animals. Basic principles]

The use of experimental animals often requires anesthesia to provide immobility, analgesia and sufficiently lowered levels of consciousness. In addition to ethical reasons, animals require anesthesia not only for ethical reasons but also because pain or stress can alter the quality of research results. European Union rules contemplating the use of anesthesia, analgesia and other procedures to eliminate the suffering of experimental animals were adopted for use in Spain on March 14, 1980. Among the preoperatory considerations to be kept in mind is the possibility of diseases carried by animals, some of which can be transmitted to humans. Management and restraint of animals must also be planned before administering drugs. Recognition of pain, and its adequate analgesic treatment is important throughout surgical procedures. Different species of experimental animals require different types of administration. Some drugs, types and routes of administration and monitoring requirements are the same as those used in humans. Great differences exist, however, specifically in the large number of drugs used in animals but not in humans, and in techniques such as tracheal intubation that involve special difficulties.