The veterinary journal
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The veterinary journal · Mar 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effect of loco-regional anaesthesia on motor activity induced by direct stimulation of the sciatic nerve in dogs.
A prospective, randomised, blinded, case-controlled clinical study was designed using client-owned dogs undergoing unilateral pelvic limb orthopaedic surgery, to determine the effect on induced motor activity by electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve distal to the site of local anaesthetic administration. Dogs were administered 0.5% bupivacaine either extradurally or via a femoral and transgluteal sciatic electrolocation-guided nerve block prior to pelvic limb surgery. Motor response to electrical stimulation of branches of the sciatic nerve was tested and the minimum current required to induce muscle twitch was recorded prior to bupivacaine administration. ⋯ There was no significant difference in the minimum current required to induce muscle twitch between pre- and post-operative testing (P = 0.31 sciatic site, P = 0.36 peroneal site), nor between the two groups using different loco-regional anaesthetic techniques (minimum P = 0.13). This study shows that stimulation of the sciatic nerve distal to the site of bupivacaine administration induces motor activity, despite adequate sensory blockade. This is relevant in surgical cases where mechanical stimulation of the sciatic nerve might be expected and needs to be recognised to avoid postoperative neurapraxia.
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The veterinary journal · Mar 2016
von Frey anesthesiometry to assess sensory impairment after acute spinal cord injury caused by thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion in dogs.
Sensory threshold (ST) was measured using an electric von Frey anesthesiometer (VFA) in all limbs of 20 normal dogs and 29 dogs with acute thoracolumbar spinal cord injury (SCI) caused by spontaneous intervertebral disc extrusion. ST values were measured at three separate time points in normal dogs and on days 3, 10 and 30 following decompressive surgery in dogs with SCI. ST values were compared between groups and correlated with locomotor recovery in SCI-affected dogs. ⋯ A significant decline in ST values across testing sessions was observed for all limbs of normal and SCI-affected dogs and may be related to patient acclimation, operator training effect, or effect of analgesic medications. This study supports the feasibility of VFA to assess differences in ST between normal and SCI-affected dogs. However, future studies must focus on techniques to minimize or compensate for clinical, environmental and behavioral factors which may impact ST values in the clinical setting.
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The veterinary journal · Dec 2015
Clinical TrialEffects of 10% hydroxyethyl starch (HES 200/0.5) solution in intraoperative fluid therapy management of horses undergoing elective surgical procedures.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of pentastarch on colloid osmotic pressure (COP) and cardiopulmonary function during and up to 24 h after anaesthesia in horses. Twenty-five systemically healthy horses were anaesthetised using isoflurane-medetomidine balanced anaesthesia. Twelve were assigned to treatment with hydroxyethyl starch (HES) (H group) and 13 to no HES (NH group). ⋯ Overall, 6 mL/kg HES (200/0.5) was found to be effective in maintaining COP during anaesthesia in systemically healthy horses. Intermediate and long-term effects were below the limit of detection. The potentially beneficial effects on cardiovascular function need further investigation, especially in critically ill horses.
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The veterinary journal · Dec 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialEffectiveness of pre-peritoneal continuous wound infusion with lidocaine for pain control following ovariohysterectomy in dogs.
This study compared the post-operative analgesic efficacy of continuous lidocaine administration with that of intramuscular (IM) methadone in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy. Thirty-eight dogs were divided randomly into two groups. Following surgery, the lidocaine group (L) received a continuous lidocaine infusion (2 mg/kg/h) through a wound catheter inserted in the pre-peritoneal space; the control group (C) received methadone (0.2 mg/kg IM). ⋯ Four animals in the control group but none in the lidocaine group required rescue analgesia. There were no differences in complication rates between groups. Continuous locoregional lidocaine delivered via a wound catheter between the parietal peritoneum and abdominal muscle offers effective analgesia in dogs during ovariohysterectomy and appears to be a promising analgesic option in veterinary surgery.
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The veterinary journal · Nov 2014
Use of systolic pressure variation to predict the cardiovascular response to mini-fluid challenge in anaesthetised dogs.
Systolic pressure variation (SPV), the maximum variation in systolic pressure values following a single positive pressure breath delivered by controlled mechanical ventilation (CMV), is highly correlated with volaemia in dogs. The aim of this study was to determine an SPV value that would indicate when fluid administration would be beneficial in clinical practice. Twenty-six client-owned dogs were anaesthetised, following which CMV with a peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) of 8 cmH2O was applied. ⋯ SPV values > 4 mmHg or >4.5% predicted haemodynamic improvement in dogs with normal cardiovascular function, with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 87%. The area under the curve receiver operating characteristic value for SPV was 0.931 mmHg (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.76-0.99 mmHg) and 0.944% (95% CI 0.78-0.99%). It is proposed that SPV values > 4.5% in dogs with a normal cardiovascular function, anaesthetised with isoflurane in oxygen and air, and on CMV (PIP 8 cmH2O), can be used to predict a cardiovascular response (>10% increase in mean arterial BP and/or >10% decrease in heart rate).