Topic:Anesthesia
Anesthesia in horses involves the administration of drugs to induce a temporary loss of sensation or consciousness, facilitating surgical procedures and other medical interventions. This complex process requires a deep understanding of equine physiology and pharmacology to ensure the safety and well-being of the animal. Anesthesia in horses can be challenging due to their size, temperament, and unique anatomical and physiological characteristics. Common anesthetic agents used in equine practice include inhalants like isoflurane and sevoflurane, as well as injectable drugs such as ketamine and xylazine. The management of anesthesia in horses also involves careful monitoring of vital signs and the use of supportive measures to prevent complications such as hypotension, hypoventilation, and post-anesthetic myopathy. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the techniques, advancements, and clinical outcomes associated with anesthesia in equine medicine.
Static pulmonary compliance in ponies. Static pulmonary and total compliance during expiration was measured in fifteen healthy anesthetized ponies. Mean body weight of the ponies was 140.6 kg and ranged from 83.6 to 211.4 kg. For the fifteen ponies, mean values and SD were: total compliance (Ct), 168.7 plus or minus 47.2 ml/CMH2O, and mean pulmonary compliance (Cl), 368.4 plus or minus 90.3 ml/cmH2O. Both Ct and Cl were significantly dependent on body weight, calculated surface area, height at the withers, and circumference about the chest. Repeatability of compliance measurement from day to day was confirmed by measuring complianc...
Post-operative management of equine abdominal patients. Adequate post-operative management of equine abdominal patients is as necessary to patient survival as the most heroic corrective surgery. Post-operative management must begin during the anaesthesia recovery phase to insure adequate oxygen supply, ventilation, and minimize any abdominal discomfort. The animal's physiological status must be constantly monitored to detect and determine the degree of abnormalities concerning serum electrolytes, fluid balance, and acid-base abnormalities. The most commonly observed serum electrolyte imbalance is hypokalaemia. Replacement potassium is usually suppl...
Monitoring and evaluating the physiological changes in the horse with acute abdominal disease. Initial examination and therapy, and the avoidance of maltreatment are emphasized. Gastric decompression is of prime importance, after which no compound should be administered via stomach tube. Where large amounts of high starch grains are fed, primary acute gastric dilatation must be differentiated from that secondary to small bowel dilatation, by immediate gastric intubation and irrigation of the cardia with lidocaine. If cessation of pain and improvement of peristalsis and general attitude follow, the former state may be assumed. If pain persists and peristalsis does not improve markedly, o...
The indirect measurement of arterial blood pressure in the horse. An accurate modified auscultatory technique for the indirect measurement of arterial pressure in the horse is described. Limitations of the method were sensitivity to external motion in nervous, conscious horses, and the failure to detect Korotkoff sounds in shocked, anaesthetized surgical cases. The apparatus required for the method is expensive and is probably impractical for routine monitoring during anaesthesia.
Ventilation and cardiovascular studies during mechanical control of ventilation in horses. Eleven out of 12 horses were underventilating while breathing spontaneously during halothane anaesthesia with high arterial carbon dioxide tensions. In addition, large alveolar to arterial oxygen tension gradients were found to be present. Mechanically, controlled ventilation with an intermittent positive pressure of 20-30 cm H2O reduced arterial carbon dioxide levels to normal. The alveolar to arterial oxygen gradients did not increase and in some cases decreased. These (A - a) Po2 gradients were due mainly to true shunt of the order of 30 per cent and not to ventilation perfusion inequality....
Cardiac output in the conscious and anaesthetised horse. Cardiac output in the horse was measured before and at predetermined times during 2-hour periods of thiopentone-halothane and thiopentone-diethyl ether anaesthesia. Left ventricular stroke volume was decreased to a similar extent during anaesthesia with each volatile agent, but a greater reduction in cardiac output occurred during halothane anaesthesia. This finding reflected the differing effects of halothane and ether on heart rate, a slight bradycardia occurring with the former agent while ether produced a small degree of tachycardia. The latter effect was attributed to enhanced sympathoadr...