Preliminary investigation comparing a detomidine continuous rate infusion combined with either morphine or buprenorphine for standing sedation in horses.

The research investigates the efficacy and side effects of buprenorphine and morphine, used in conjunction with detomidine, for standing sedation in horses undergoing dental or sinus procedures.

Objective and Methodology

• The main objective of the study was to examine and compare the sedative and analgesic effects of either buprenorphine or morphine when combined with a continuous rate infusion of detomidine in horses undergoing procedures.
• It was a blinded, prospective, randomized clinical pilot study that involved ten horses presented for either dental or sinus procedures.
• Each horse was first administered with acepromazine, followed by detomidine. Later on, either buprenorphine was administered to six horses or morphine to four horses. Detomidine was also continuously infused and adjusted as necessary to maintain the appropriate level of sedation.
• The study closely measured heart rate, respiratory frequency, gastrointestinal motility, and rectal temperature, and also scored pain, ataxia, and sedation levels of the horses.
• To analyze these measured parameters and scores, various tests such as mixed linear model, Wilcoxon’s rank sum test, and Fisher’s exact test were used.

Findings

• There was no statistically significant difference observed in the dose rate of detomidine regardless of whether it was combined with buprenorphine or morphine.
• The intraoperative visual analogue scale scores were higher for buprenorphine compared to morphine, indicating that buprenorphine produced greater sedation.
• The duration of the procedure was not significantly different between the two groups.
• All horses treated with buprenorphine experienced post-operative complications, while none were observed in those treated with morphine.

Conclusion

• The study concluded that at the used dosage, buprenorphine yielded greater sedation in horses than morphine when used with detomidine. However, the horses treated with buprenorphine also experienced more post-operative complications.
• It was also noted that there could be a risk of Type I (false positive) or Type II (false negative) errors in the research findings, indicating the need for larger studies to confirm these findings.