Case report details inadvertent epidural cefazolin injection in dog

A new case report in the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care describes what appears to be the first published veterinary report of inadvertent epidural cefazolin administration in a dog. The patient, a 5-year-old, 37.2-kg mixed-breed dog, received 800 mg of cefazolin into the epidural space while being prepared at a primary care practice for lateral suture repair of a cranial cruciate ligament rupture, then was referred to The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center. According to the report, recovery from anesthesia was uneventful, the dog had stable vital signs, no seizure activity, and was discharged the next day after overnight monitoring without observed complications. The authors note that inadvertent caudal epidural cefazolin injection has been reported in people, but not previously in veterinary medicine. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the case is reassuring in one narrow sense, but it’s really a medication safety story. Cefazolin is commonly used for perioperative prophylaxis in dogs, including orthopedic procedures, which means it may be handled alongside anesthetic and analgesic drugs during busy surgical workflows. A recent review of medication errors in veterinary anesthesia identified drug preparation, administration, distraction, workload, and communication failures as recurring risk factors, and AAHA’s anesthesia guidelines emphasize close recovery monitoring because a large share of anesthetic-related deaths occur postoperatively. (ohiostate.pressbooks.pub)

What to watch: Expect this report to sharpen discussion around syringe labeling, drug separation, double-check protocols, and postoperative neurologic monitoring after wrong-route injections. (sciencedirect.com)