Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Canadian Veterinary Journal logoLink to The Canadian Veterinary Journal
. 1996 Nov;37(11):672–678.

Evaluation of postoperative complications following elective surgeries of dogs and cats at private practices using computer records.

F L Pollari 1, B N Bonnett 1
PMCID: PMC1576507  PMID: 8939333

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the frequency of postoperative complications following elective surgeries (castration, ovariohysterectomy, onychectomy) of dogs and cats from private practices and to evaluate the use of electronic medical records for this type of research. All elective surgeries performed during the study period at 5 private practices were included. The surgical techniques and materials used for each procedure were similar across practices, but the interpretation of "complication," the amount of detail recorded on the primary medical record, and the intensity of follow-up varied. The frequencies and types of complications varied by species and procedure. The postoperative complication frequencies ranged from 1% to 24% for all complications and 1% to 4% for severe complications. The results of this study describe populations of elective-surgery patients at private practices, provide data for educating clients about the risks associated with these procedures, and demonstrate how computerized records can be used to collect practice-specific medical information.

Full text

PDF
672

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barrie J. L., Marsh D. R. Quality of data in the Manchester orthopaedic database. BMJ. 1992 Jan 18;304(6820):159–162. doi: 10.1136/bmj.304.6820.159. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Calle E. E., Khoury M. J. Completeness of the discharge diagnoses as a measure of birth defects recorded in the hospital birth record. Am J Epidemiol. 1991 Jul 1;134(1):69–77. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115994. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. McDonald C. J., Tierney W. M. Computer-stored medical records. Their future role in medical practice. JAMA. 1988 Jun 17;259(23):3433–3440. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Pearson H. The complications of ovariohysterectomy in the bitch. J Small Anim Pract. 1973 May;14(5):257–266. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.1973.tb06457.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Pollari F. L., Bonnett B. N., Bamsey S. C., Meek A. H., Allen D. G. Postoperative complications of elective surgeries in dogs and cats determined by examining electronic and paper medical records. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1996 Jun 1;208(11):1882–1886. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Pryor D. B., Califf R. M., Harrell F. E., Jr, Hlatky M. A., Lee K. L., Mark D. B., Rosati R. A. Clinical data bases. Accomplishments and unrealized potential. Med Care. 1985 May;23(5):623–647. doi: 10.1097/00005650-198505000-00020. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Safran C. Using routinely collected data for clinical research. Stat Med. 1991 Apr;10(4):559–564. doi: 10.1002/sim.4780100407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Starfield B., Steinwachs D., Morris I., Bause G., Siebert S., Westin C. Concordance between medical records and observations regarding information on coordination of care. Med Care. 1979 Jul;17(7):758–766. doi: 10.1097/00005650-197907000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Thrusfield M. Data bases in epidemiology. Equine Vet J. 1986 Nov;18(6):425–427. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1986.tb03676.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Tierney W. M., McDonald C. J. Practice databases and their uses in clinical research. Stat Med. 1991 Apr;10(4):541–557. doi: 10.1002/sim.4780100406. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Vasseur P. B., Levy J., Dowd E., Eliot J. Surgical wound infection rates in dogs and cats. Data from a teaching hospital. Vet Surg. 1988 Mar-Apr;17(2):60–64. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-950x.1988.tb00278.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Weed L. L. Medical records that guide and teach. N Engl J Med. 1968 Mar 14;278(11):593–600. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196803142781105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Wise J. K., Yang J. J. Computer use and applications in veterinary medicine. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1992 Nov 1;201(9):1352–1354. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Canadian Veterinary Journal are provided here courtesy of Canadian Veterinary Medical Association

RESOURCES