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Anesthesia Competency Verification

IACUC Anesthesia Competency Verification Program

Overview/Purpose

USDA-covered animal species in the University of Pittsburgh research program are placed under anesthesia for a variety of reasons, ranging from surgery, procedures, or imaging.  Anesthesia (including sedation) is a medical procedure that must be managed properly by trained personnel starting from the preparatory phase through post-operative recovery.  The University of Pittsburgh Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) has initiated a program in 2026 to verify that personnel who perform anesthesia and/or sedation of UDSA-covered animals are trained and can perform anesthesia/sedation as described in the approved IACUC protocol. A brief overview of the program is found here. 

Requirements

  • New staff (starting January 2026 or after): Must complete Anesthesia Competency Verification Program before performing procedures independently. 
  • Current PIs and staff (on an approved protocol before 2026: Must complete verification by end of 2026 but can continue to perform anesthesia and/or sedation.  

Exclusions

This does not apply to studies for which anesthesia and/or sedation is conducted by DLAR through service requests or contracts. 

Verification Process

DLAR Veterinary Services (VS) training personnel observe procedures using a standardized checklist to verify competency. 

Researchers must contact the DLAR – VS Training team (DLRVSTR@pitt.edu) to go through the verification process.  

Prior to verification, new Surgical Staff can either receive training from current Surgical Staff or the PI or schedule didactic or hands-on training with the DLAR – VS Training team.  

Alternatively, researchers can request that DLAR perform anesthesia with the animals on the approved protocol through a DLAR Service Request and receive training at that time.  

Once contact is initiated by the research member via the email, A DLAR – VS Training team member will reach out to schedule a verification during an approved procedure.  

While observing the procedures with researchers, DLAR VS personnel utilize a standard verification checklist to ensure competency in the steps of the procedure or provide feedback. There is a separate checklist for anesthesia vs. sedation. The checklists can be available to researchers prior to the verification.   

Definitions

  • USDA-covered species: warm blooded vertebrate species except lab rats/mice (Rattus and Mus) subject to regulations by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). These are mammals such as gerbils, guinea pigs, ferrets, rabbits, cats, dogs, pigs, ruminants, or NHPs.
  • New Surgical Staff: for the purposes of this program, new Surgical Staff are those that have been added to an approved protocol after the implementation of this program (January 2026). Current Surgical Staff are those that were on an approved protocol before 2026.  

FAQs

  1. What is the rationale for this new program? 
    The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and federal laws mandate that all personnel involved in the care and use of laboratory animals receive proper training. The IACUC has initiated this program to align with industry standards in ensuring regulatory compliance, technical proficiency, and ethical care involving anesthesia of research animals. While PIs are responsible for ensuring their staff are appropriately trained and qualified, the IACUC is responsible for ensuring, as part of their review of research activities, that the personnel can perform anesthesia as described in the protocol. 
     
  2. Will the DLAR or the IACUC reach out to research teams to coordinate and schedule verifications?  
    No. The PI or research team can and should initiate the verification process with the DLAR – VS Training team (DLRVSTR@pitt.edu).  
  3. If a staff member does not pass the verification, what are the next steps?  
    Training will be provided during or after the verification, and the DLAR VS Training team will either schedule another verification or training as appropriate.  
     
  4. Is there any cost associated with this program? 
    There is no fee or cost associated with this verification program. There is cost associated with Service Requests for DLAR to perform anesthesia.  
     
  5. Would verification need to be done again if working with a new animal species or new procedure?  
    Verification would need to be done for each species. If initial verification involved a non-invasive procedure such as imaging, and the new procedure is a surgery, the verification may need to be done for this new procedure. Please contact the DLAR VS Training team to discuss. 

Contact

General questions about appropriate anesthesia, sedation, or monitoring techniques should be directed to your facility veterinarian.

For verification or additional training on anesthesia/sedation/monitoring techniques, contact the DLAR – VS Training team (DLRVSTR@pitt.edu). 

Applicable Policies and Regulations