Clinical effects of two doses of butorphanol with detomidine for intravenous premedication of healthy warmblood horses.
Abstract: To compare the effects of two different doses of butorphanol combined with detomidine administered intravenously (IV) on quality of sedation, degree of ataxia and anaesthetic induction in horses. Methods: Randomized, blinded, clinical study. Methods: A total of 40 client-owned healthy warmblood horses scheduled for elective surgery under general anaesthesia. Methods: Horses were randomly allocated to be administered 8 μg kg-1 detomidine IV plus either 20 or 50 μg kg-1 butorphanol IV, with the principal investigator blinded to group allocation. Head height was measured before drug injection and 2 minutes thereafter. Data were compared using unpaired t test. Horses were filmed and scored using Simple Descriptive Scales for sedation (2 and 15 minutes after IV injection), ataxia (at walk, immediately after the 2 minute time point) and quality of swing-door induction following diazepam and ketamine administration. Data are shown as median (and range where appropriate). Scores were compared using chi-square tests (p < 0.05). Results: There were 14 and 17 horses in high-dose (HD) and low-dose (LD) groups respectively. Data from nine horses were excluded. Mean head height reduction did not differ between groups (p = 0.86), nor did sedation scores at 2 minutes (median = 3 in both groups; p = 0.09) or 15 minutes (median = 2 in both groups; p = 0.63). There was no significant difference in the requirement for additional detomidine (p = 0.73) or in induction quality between groups (p = 0.99), but initial ataxia was significantly greater in the HD group 2 (1-3) versus 2.5 (1-3) in the LD group (p = 0.017). Conclusions: In healthy warmblood horses, simultaneous administration of 50 rather than 20 μg kg-1 butorphanol with 8 μg kg-1 detomidine does not provide greater sedation or affect induction, but it causes more pronounced ataxia shortly after IV injection.
Copyright © 2020 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2020-05-22 PubMed ID: 32792271DOI: 10.1016/j.vaa.2019.11.010Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Veterinary
Summary
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This research paper investigates the effects of two different doses of butorphanol, combined with detomidine, on the sedation, degree of ataxia, and anaesthetic induction in horses.
Objective and Methods of the Study
- The objective of this study was to compare the effects of two different doses of butorphanol (a semi-synthetic opioid pain reliever) when combined with detomidine (used for sedation) on the quality of sedation, degree of ataxia (loss of full control of voluntary movements), and anesthetic induction in horses.
- The study was conducted on 40 healthy warmblood horses that were scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia. The horses were divided into two groups randomly and were administered two different doses of butorphanol along with detomidine. The principal investigator was kept unaware of which group received which dose.
- The dose combinations comprised of 8 μg kg of detomidine with either 20 or 50 μg kg of butorphanol.
- The researchers measured the head height of the horses before drug injection and repeated the measure 2 minutes post-injection.
- The severity of sedation, ataxia and quality of anaesthetic induction in the horses were scored and filmed at specific intervals after drug injection.
Results of the Study
- There were 14 and 17 horses in the high-dose (HD) and low-dose (LD) groups respectively. Nine horses’ data were excluded from the study.
- The mean head height reduction, sedation scores at the 2 and 15-minute mark post-injection and induction quality did not comparatively differ significantly between the both groups.
- There was however a significant difference noted in the degree of ataxia, which was markedly greater in the HD group compared to the LD group.
- There was no significant difference also noted in the need for additional detomidine between the two groups.
Conclusion of the Study
- According to the results of the study, in healthy warmblood horses, adding 50 μg kg of butorphanol with detomidine rather than 20 μg kg does not enhance sedation or influence induction.
- It, however, resulted in more pronounced ataxia shortly after the intravenous injection.
Cite This Article
APA
de Grauw J, van Loon T.
(2020).
Clinical effects of two doses of butorphanol with detomidine for intravenous premedication of healthy warmblood horses.
Vet Anaesth Analg, 47(5), 681-685.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaa.2019.11.010 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.c.degrauw@uu.nl.
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
MeSH Terms
- Analgesics, Opioid / administration & dosage
- Analgesics, Opioid / pharmacology
- Animals
- Butorphanol / administration & dosage
- Butorphanol / pharmacology
- Drug Administration Schedule
- Drug Therapy, Combination
- Horses
- Hypnotics and Sedatives / administration & dosage
- Hypnotics and Sedatives / pharmacology
- Imidazoles / administration & dosage
- Imidazoles / pharmacology
- Injections, Intravenous
- Premedication
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