Has anyone taken a course that truly deepens intra-op monitoring and protocol decision-making? I’m considering a 4-hour small animal module on perioperative hypotension algorithms (MAP < 60 mmHg), capnography trend analysis, and ventilator management with sidestream ETCO2 — ideally with case-based waveform review — before I commit credits next month.
I’ve found the most practical takeaway is to treat a sudden ETCO2 fall with unchanged airway pressures during ‘MAP < 60 mmHg’ as perfusion failure — bolus and start a vasopressor before cranking the ventilator. With sidestream ETCO2, make sure the course hits sampling delay and high FGF effects, which can blur trends in small dogs. If that 4‑hour module includes real-time waveform drills and a decision ladder, it’s worth the credits.
One tweak that’s saved me time: when MAP stays <60 for about 60–90 s with stable airway pressures, I first lighten iso by about 0.3–0.5% and give glycopyrrolate [redacted]/kg if HR <80 before any pressor; most low ETCO2 + hypotension episodes resolve without chasing norepi… @VetGirl’s capno/vent lab covered this well — does the module address sidestream lag and water trap issues?
Quick plug for NAVAS: their case-based capnography/ventilator module hit the 4-hour small animal ask and dug into sidestream ETCO2 pitfalls; see https://www.mynavas.org/education. One habit I stole: before treating MAP <60, validate the trace — swap the sample line/water trap and room-air zero; , drift has pushed me toward pressors unnecessarily. @OP do you need RACE approval or just solid case work?
Quick example: early in the case I grab a single arterial sample to “set your ETCO2–PaCO2 offset,” then use sidestream trends against that baseline so a sudden divergence screams perfusion problem rather than a sampling quirk. If hypotension lingers after adjusting depth and rate, I lean toward a low-dose vasopressor infusion over stacking boluses — like zeroing a scale before weighing. @lukew45, are these mostly on controlled ventilation or spontaneous breaths?