Veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia
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To investigate the distribution and nerve staining of two volumes of lidocaine-dye solution after ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane (ESP) injections in canine cadavers. ⋯ and clinical relevance Medial and lateral branches were consistently stained over several spinal segments. The number of nerves stained was not different with HV or LV, and the ventral branches of the spinal nerves were not stained in any cadaver. ESP block may find a clinical application to desensitize structures innervated by the medial and lateral branches of the dorsal branches of the thoracic spinal nerves.
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Review
Intraoperative nociception-antinociception monitors: A review from the veterinary perspective.
To review monitors currently available for the assessment of nociception-antinociception in veterinary medicine. ⋯ The provision of adequate antinociception is difficult to achieve in veterinary anaesthesia. Currently, heart rate and arterial blood pressure are used to monitor the response to a noxious stimulus during anaesthesia, with minimum alveolar concentration-sparing effect and stress-related hormones used for this purpose in research studies. However, since none of these variables truly assess intraoperative nociception, several alternative monitoring devices have been developed for use in humans. These nociceptive-antinociceptive monitoring systems derive information from variables, such as electroencephalography, parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) response, sympathetic nervous system response and electromyography. Several of these monitoring systems have been investigated in veterinary medicine, although few have been used to assess intraoperative nociception in animals. There is controversy regarding their effectiveness and clinical use in animals. A nociceptive-antinociceptive monitoring system based on the PNS response has been developed for use in cats, dogs and horses. It uses the parasympathetic tone activity index, which is believed to detect inadequate intraoperative nociception-antinociception balance in veterinary anaesthesia. Nonetheless, there are limited published studies to date, and cardiovascular variables remain the gold standard. Consequently, further studies in this area are warranted.
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To evaluate the anatomy of the serratus plane in dogs to establish the optimal landmarks for a superficial serratus plane (SSP) block and evaluate ropivacaine-methylene blue solution dispersion with three volumes of injection. ⋯ Injections for an SSP block were easily performed under ultrasound guidance, using the fourth and fifth ribs at the level of the shoulder joint as reference landmarks. An injected volume of 0.3 mL kg-1 may be sufficient for hemithorax analgesia in dogs. Further studies in dogs are required to determine the utility of this technique.
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To compare the perioperative effects and pharmacoeconomics of peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) versus fentanyl target-controlled infusion (fTCI) in dogs undergoing tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO). ⋯ Compared with group fTCI, incidence of bradycardia, nociceptive response to surgery, postoperative pain scores, cumulative methadone requirement were lower, and food intake was greater in group PNB, with an economic advantage in dogs weighing >15 kg.
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To provide ultrasonographic mapping of the axillary region of dogs to facilitate identification of the major branches of the brachial plexus in relation to the axillary artery. ⋯ Ultrasonography identified the location of the brachial plexus nerves near the studied sectors, providing useful guidance for performing a brachial plexus nerve block.