The veterinary journal
-
The veterinary journal · Apr 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialRandomized clinical trial of the effects of a combination of acepromazine with morphine and midazolam on sedation, cardiovascular variables and the propofol dose requirements for induction of anesthesia in dogs.
The present study evaluated the effects of acepromazine combined with midazolam and morphine on sedation and cardiovascular variables as well as the propofol dose required for induction of anesthesia in dogs compared with acepromazine-morphine or midazolam-morphine. Dogs were randomly assigned to receive an intramuscular administration of (1) acepromazine (0.05 mg/kg) with 0.5mg/kg of morphine (group AM, n=10), (2) midazolam (0.5mg/kg) with 0.5mg/kg of morphine (group MM, n=9), or (3) acepromazine with midazolam and morphine at the same doses (group AMM, n=10). After 30 min, sedation was assessed by a numeric descriptive scale (NDS, range 0-3) and a simple numerical scale (SNS, range 0-10). ⋯ Blood pressure decreased in groups AM and AMM following treatment and in all groups after intubation. The combination AMM resulted in intense sedation more frequently than AM and MM, and provided the greatest sparing effect in the propofol dose. Administration of AM and AMM but not MM decreased blood pressure although hypotension was not recorded in healthy dogs.
-
The veterinary journal · Apr 2014
Monitoring equine visceral pain with a composite pain scale score and correlation with survival after emergency gastrointestinal surgery.
Recognition and management of equine pain have been studied extensively in recent decades and this has led to significant advances. However, there is still room for improvement in the ability to identify and treat pain in horses that have undergone emergency gastrointestinal surgery. This study assessed the validity and clinical application of the composite pain scale (CPS) in horses after emergency gastrointestinal surgery. ⋯ In conclusion, the use of the CPS improved objectivity of pain scoring in horses following emergency gastrointestinal surgery. High inter-observer reliability allows for comparisons between different observers. This will be of great benefit in larger veterinary hospitals where several attending clinicians are often involved in the care of each case.
-
The veterinary journal · Apr 2014
Ultrasound-guided administration of lidocaine into the sciatic nerve in a porcine model: correlation between the ultrasonographic evolution of the lesions, locomotor function and histological findings.
Intraneural puncture of local anaesthetics has been associated with permanent or transitory nerve injury. The use of ultrasound (US)-guided techniques for the blockade of peripheral nerves has revealed that intraneural puncture is a relatively common complication, which is not frequently associated with neurological deficits. In this study, 2.5 mL of lidocaine were administered using US-guidance into the sciatic nerve (ScN) of 12 piglets. ⋯ The inflammatory process observed by histopathology showed a similar trend indicating that the integrity of the perineurium was maintained. Locomotor deficits were not observed. The increase in size of the ScN produced by the injection of lidocaine intraneurally did not induce motor deficits in piglets in the current study.
-
The veterinary journal · Apr 2014
The effects of an intravenous bolus of dexmedetomidine following extubation in a mixed population of dogs undergoing general anaesthesia and surgery.
An observer blinded, placebo controlled study evaluated the effects of 62.5 μg/m(2) dexmedetomidine administered IV on recovery from isoflurane anaesthesia in dogs. Forty-four healthy dogs, weighing 1.8-19.95 kg, presented for surgery that was expected to cause mild to moderate pain were studied. All were premedicated with 125 μg/m(2) dexmedetomidine and 20 μg/kg buprenorphine IM. ⋯ Significantly fewer poor quality recoveries were observed in group D (D 2 [1-3]; S 2 [0-3]; P=0.02), however, sedation was increased in group D compared to group S from T15 to T150 min (P=0.0001). Pain scores were lower in group D compared to group S from T15 to T120 min (P=0.001), but the requirement for additional analgesia in the first 4h following extubation was not different between groups. Dexmedetomidine may decrease the incidence of poor quality anaesthetic recoveries in dogs.
-
The veterinary journal · Feb 2014
Feasibility and repeatability of cold and mechanical quantitative sensory testing in normal dogs.
Feasibility and inter-session repeatability of cold and mechanical quantitative sensory testing (QST) were assessed in 24 normal dogs. Cold thermal latencies were evaluated using a thermal probe (0°C) applied to three pelvic limb sites. Mechanical thresholds were measured using an electronic von Frey anesthesiometer (EVF) and a blunt-probed pressure algometer (PA) applied to the dorsal aspect of the metatarsus. ⋯ The cold QST protocol in this study was achievable, but did not provide consistently quantifiable results. Both mechanical QST devices tested provided repeatable, reliable sensory threshold measurements in normal, client-owned dogs. These findings contribute to the validation of the EVF and PA as tools to obtain repeated QST data over time in dogs to assess somatosensory processing changes.