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Acta veterinaria Scandinavica2018; 60(1); 50; doi: 10.1186/s13028-018-0406-4

Clinical evaluation of constant rate infusion of alfaxalone-medetomidine combined with sevoflurane anesthesia in Thoroughbred racehorses undergoing arthroscopic surgery.

Abstract: Alfaxalone has a number of pharmacological properties which are desirable for constant rate infusion (CRI). Previously, the co-administration of alfaxalone and medetomidine is shown to be suitable for short-term anesthesia in horses. However, the use of alfaxalone-medetomidine CRI with inhalational anesthesia under surgical procedures have not been investigated in clinical cases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of alfaxalone-medetomidine CRI in sevoflurane-anesthetized Thoroughbred racehorses undergoing arthroscopic surgery. Sevoflurane requirement, cardiovascular function, and induction/recovery quality were compared between horses maintained with sevoflurane in combination with medetomidine CRI (3 µg/kg/h) (Group M; n = 25) and those maintained with sevoflurane in combination with alfaxalone-medetomidine CRI (0.5 mg/kg/h and 3 µg/kg/h, respectively) (Group AM; n = 25). Results: The mean end-tidal sevoflurane concentrations were significantly lower in Group AM (1.8 ± 0.2%) than in Group M (2.4 ± 0.1%). The mean dobutamine infusion rate required for maintaining mean arterial blood pressure within the target values (60-80 mmHg) was significantly lower in Group AM (0.53 ± 0.20 µg/kg/min) than in Group M (0.85 ± 0.32 µg/kg/min). Induction and recovery scores were not significantly different between two groups. However, excitatory response during recovery were observed in five horses in Group AM. The mean plasma alfaxalone concentrations were stable throughout the maintenance period (0.77 ± 0.12 to 0.85 ± 0.13 µg/mL), and decreased significantly immediately after standing (0.32 ± 0.07 µg/mL). Conclusions: Alfaxalone-medetomidine CRI reduced sevoflurane requirement by approximately 26% with good maintenance of cardiopulmonary function in Thoroughbred racehorses undergoing arthroscopic surgery. Sevoflurane in combination with alfaxalone-medetomidine CRI may be a clinically effective anesthetic technique for Thoroughbred racehorses. However, 20% of horses administered alfaxalone showed remarkable excitatory response during recovery. Greater attention to excitatory response may be advisable if alfaxalone is used for induction or maintenance of anesthesia. A larger study is needed to explore the clinical relevance of these findings.
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Publication Date: 2018-09-04 PubMed ID: 30180855PubMed Central: PMC6123962DOI: 10.1186/s13028-018-0406-4Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research investigates the effectiveness of alfaxalone-medetomidine (a combination of anesthetic drugs) in racehorses undergoing arthroscopic surgery. The study finds that it minimizes the required concentration of sevoflurane (another anesthetic drug), stabilizes the cardiovascular function, and results in good induction and recovery, although some horses demonstrated excitatory response during recovery.

Objective and Methodology

  • The main motive of this research was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a constant rate infusion (CRI) of alfaxalone-medetomidine, in combination with sevoflurane, as anesthesia in racehorses undergoing arthroscopic surgeries.
  • The experiment was conducted on 50 Thoroughbred racehorses, divided into two groups: 25 were administered with sevoflurane and medetomidine CRI (Group M), and the other 25 with sevoflurane and alfaxalone-medetomidine CRI (Group AM).

Results

  • The research found that the amount of end-tidal sevoflurane concentration needed in Group AM was significantly lower (approximately 26% less) than in Group M.
  • Also, the amount of dobutamine (used to maintain mean arterial blood pressure within the target values) needed for Group AM was reported to be lower than for Group M.
  • Neither the induction quality nor the recovery scores differed significantly between the two groups.
  • However, in the Group AM, an excitatory response during recovery was observed in five horses.
  • Alfaxalone levels were found to be stable throughout the maintenance period and decreased significantly immediately after horses stood up.

Conclusion

  • The research concludes that alfaxalone-medetomidine CRI significantly reduced the sevoflurane requirement and maintained a stable cardiopulmonary function which contributed to good induction and recovery quality.
  • However, caution is needed as 20% of horses showed an excitatory response during recovery.
  • The study suggests that sevoflurane, in combination with alfaxalone-medetomidine CRI, may be a clinically effective anesthetic technique for Thoroughbred racehorses.
  • In light of these findings, further study with a larger sample size is recommended in the future to confirm the clinical relevance of the findings.

Cite This Article

APA
Tokushige H, Kushiro A, Okano A, Maeda T, Ito H, Wakuno A, Nagata SI, Ohta M. (2018). Clinical evaluation of constant rate infusion of alfaxalone-medetomidine combined with sevoflurane anesthesia in Thoroughbred racehorses undergoing arthroscopic surgery. Acta Vet Scand, 60(1), 50. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-018-0406-4

Publication

Acta veterinaria Scandinavica
ISSN: 1751-0147
NlmUniqueID: 0370400
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 60
Issue: 1
Pages: 50
PII: 50

Researcher Affiliations

Tokushige, Hirotaka
  • Racehorse Clinic, Miho Training Center, Japan Racing Association (JRA), 2500-2 Mikoma, Miho-mura, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki, 300-0493, Japan. Hirotaka_Tokushige@jra.go.jp.
Kushiro, Asuka
  • Racehorse Clinic, Miho Training Center, Japan Racing Association (JRA), 2500-2 Mikoma, Miho-mura, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki, 300-0493, Japan.
Okano, Atsushi
  • Racehorse Clinic, Miho Training Center, Japan Racing Association (JRA), 2500-2 Mikoma, Miho-mura, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki, 300-0493, Japan.
Maeda, Tatsuya
  • Racehorse Clinic, Miho Training Center, Japan Racing Association (JRA), 2500-2 Mikoma, Miho-mura, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki, 300-0493, Japan.
Ito, Hideki
  • Racehorse Clinic, Miho Training Center, Japan Racing Association (JRA), 2500-2 Mikoma, Miho-mura, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki, 300-0493, Japan.
Wakuno, Ai
  • Racehorse Clinic, Ritto Training Center, JRA, 1028 Misono, Ritto-shi, Shiga, 520-3085, Japan.
Nagata, Shun-Ichi
  • Analytical Chemistry Section, Laboratory of Racing Chemistry, 1731-2 Tokami-cyo, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi, 320-0851, Japan.
Ohta, Minoru
  • Equine Research Institute, JRA, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Arthroscopy / veterinary
  • Drug Combinations
  • Heart Rate / drug effects
  • Horses
  • Hypnotics and Sedatives / administration & dosage
  • Hypnotics and Sedatives / pharmacology
  • Medetomidine / administration & dosage
  • Pregnanediones / administration & dosage
  • Sevoflurane / administration & dosage

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Gozalo-Marcilla M, Ringer SK. Recovery after General Anaesthesia in Adult Horses: A Structured Summary of the Literature.. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jun 14;11(6).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11061777pubmed: 34198637google scholar: lookup
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