Metabolic acidosis in healthy mules under general anaesthesia with halothane.
Abstract: To report the severe metabolic acidosis identified in a group of 11 healthy mules anaesthetized with halothane for castration. Methods: Data generated from a prospective study. Methods: Eleven mules aged 2.5-8 years, weighing 230-315 kg and 11 horses aged 1.5-3.5 years, weighing 315-480 kg. Methods: Animals were anaesthetized for castration as part of an electroencephalographic study. Preanaesthetic medication was acepromazine (0.03 mg kg(-1) ) administered through a preplaced jugular venous catheter. Anaesthesia was induced 30-90 minutes later with intravenous thiopental (10 mg kg(-1) ). After orotracheal intubation, anaesthesia was maintained with halothane vaporised in oxygen. The animals' lungs were ventilated to maintain the end-tidal CO(2) concentration between 3.9 and 4.5 kPa (29-34 mmHg). Anaesthetic monitoring included invasive blood pressure measurement via the auricular artery (mules) and submandibular branch of the facial artery (horses). Arterial blood gas samples were drawn from these catheters at three time points during surgery and pH, PaCO(2) , base excess (ecf) and were measured. Values were compared between groups using a Mann-Whitney test. p was taken as <0.05. Results are reported as median (range). Results: PaCO(2) did not differ between groups but pH was significantly lower in mules [7.178 (7.00-7.29)] compared to horses [7.367 (7.24-7.43)] (p=0.0002). values were significantly lower in the mules [16.6 (13.0-22.3) mM] compared to horses [23.7 (20.9-23.7) mM] (p=0.0001), whilst base excess (ecf) was significantly more negative in the mules [-11.4 (-1.27 to -16) mM] compared to horses [-1.3 (-5.8 to +2.4) mM] (p=0.0004). Conclusions: This study demonstrated severe metabolic acidosis in healthy mules, which may have prompted intervention with drug therapies in a clinical arena. It is probable that the acidosis existed prior to anaesthesia and caused by diet, but other possible causes are considered.
© 2011 The Authors. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia. © 2011 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists.
Publication Date: 2011-08-13 PubMed ID: 21831054DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-2995.2011.00632.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research studied the severe metabolic acidosis observed in a group of healthy mules under halothane anaesthesia. Findings revealed significantly lower pH values and more negative base excess in mules compared to horses, suggesting a higher likelihood of metabolic acidosis.
Methods of the Research
- The study involved 11 healthy mules and 11 horses, with ages and weights spanning from 2.5-8 years and 230-315 kg for the mules and 1.5-3.5 years and 315-480 kg for the horses.
- All animals were anaesthetized for castration as part of an electroencephalographic study. Acepromazine was administered as a preanesthetic medication through a preplaced jugular venous catheter, and 30-90 minutes later, anaesthesia was induced with intravenous thiopental. Anaesthesia was maintained with halothane vaporised in oxygen after orotracheal intubation.
- The animals’ lungs were ventilated to maintain end-tidal CO(2) concentration between 3.9 and 4.5 kPa.
- Anaesthetic monitoring involved invasive blood pressure measurement via the auricular artery in mules and the submandibular branch of the facial artery in horses. Arterial blood gas samples were drawn at three points during surgery and variables like pH, PaCO(2), and base excess were measured.
- The Mann-Whitney test was employed to compare values between groups, with p taken as <0.05. The results are reported in median (range).
Results of the Study
- Results showed no difference in PaCO(2) between the groups, but the mules had a significantly lower pH [7.178 (7.00-7.29)] compared to the horses [7.367 (7.24-7.43)].
- The values were also significantly lower in the mules [16.6 (13.0-22.3) mM] compared to horses [23.7 (20.9-23.7) mM].
- The base excess (ecf) was much more negative in the mules [-11.4 (-1.27 to -16) mM] compared to horses [-1.3 (-5.8 to +2.4) mM].
Conclusions of the Study
- This study revealed severe metabolic acidosis in healthy mules under halothane anaesthesia, which may have called for intervention with drug therapies in a clinical setting.
- It’s likely that the acidosis existed before anaesthesia and was caused by diet, although other potential causes are being contemplated.
Cite This Article
APA
Grint NJ, Lorena SE, Johnson CB, Luna SP, Whay HR, Murrell JC.
(2011).
Metabolic acidosis in healthy mules under general anaesthesia with halothane.
Vet Anaesth Analg, 38(5), 484-489.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2995.2011.00632.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, UK. nicki.grint@bris.ac.uk
MeSH Terms
- Acid-Base Equilibrium / drug effects
- Acidosis / chemically induced
- Acidosis / veterinary
- Anesthesia, General / adverse effects
- Anesthesia, General / veterinary
- Anesthetics, Inhalation / adverse effects
- Animals
- Blood Gas Analysis / veterinary
- Blood Pressure / drug effects
- Body Temperature / drug effects
- Equidae / metabolism
- Halothane / adverse effects
- Heart Rate / drug effects
- Male
- Monitoring, Intraoperative / veterinary
- Orchiectomy / veterinary
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