FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Equine veterinary journal2020; 52(5); 685-691; doi: 10.1111/evj.13238

Recovery quality following a single post-anaesthetic dose of dexmedetomidine or romifidine in sevoflurane anaesthetised horses.

Abstract: Post-anaesthetic sedation is administered to horses to improve recovery quality from inhalant anaesthesia and reduce the risk of catastrophic injury. A single dose of dexmedetomidine for this purpose has not been evaluated clinically. Objective: To determine whether dexmedetomidine improves recovery quality from sevoflurane anaesthesia compared to a previously studied dose of romifidine. Methods: Prospective, randomised, masked clinical trial. Methods: Ninety-nine, adult, client-owned horses anaesthetised for elective procedures completed the trial. Anaesthetic protocol was standardised. Horses were randomly assigned to receive either dexmedetomidine 1 mcg/kg bwt (D) or romifidine 20 mcg/kg bwt (R) intravenously at their first spontaneous breath in recovery. Recoveries were reviewed and independently assigned subjective visual analogue scale (VAS) scores (0-100 mm, worst to best) for overall quality and standing ataxia scores (1-4, none to severe) by two anaesthesiologists blinded to treatment group. Objective anaesthesia and recovery data were also recorded. Comparisons were made using the Chi-square, Wilcoxon rank sum, linear models or Welch-Satterthwaite two-sample t-test (P ≤ .05). Predictors of VAS score were analysed independent of treatment group. Results: There were no significant differences between groups except end-tidal sevoflurane (FE´Sevo) concentration and post-induction extra ketamine dosing. Including FE´Sevo and additional ketamine in the analysis as covariates, VAS scores and time to standing were not significantly different between groups. Increased age, not receiving a nerve block, increased duration of hypotension, and having a nervous temperament were significant predictors of VAS score. Conclusions: No universal recovery scale exists for inter-study comparisons. Conclusions: After sevoflurane anaesthesia, sedation with dexmedetomidine or romifidine provides clinically similar recovery time and quality.
© 2020 EVJ Ltd.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2020-02-21 PubMed ID: 31975413DOI: 10.1111/evj.13238Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • 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.

The study explored if dexmedetomidine improves recovery quality from anaesthesia in horses compared to romifidine. The researchers found that both medications provide similar recovery time and quality.

Introduction and Methodology

In this clinical trial, the effect of two different sedatives, dexmedetomidine and romifidine, on the quality of recovery from sevoflurane anaesthesia in horses was evaluated.

  • The study was designed as a prospective, randomised, and masked clinical trial. This means the researchers designed the study in advance, randomly assigned subjects to different treatment groups, and blinded those observing the results to what treatments the subjects received.
  • Ninety-nine client-owned adult horses were included in the study. All of these horses were anaesthetised for elective procedures, and the anaesthetic protocol was standardised, or kept the same, across all horses.
  • The horses were divided into two groups, with one group receiving dexmedetomidine and the other receiving romifidine. These drugs were administered intravenously at the first spontaneous breath in the recovery period.
  • The quality of recovery was evaluated through the use of a visual analogue scale (VAS), subjective scores given by two anaesthesiologists who were blinded to the treatment group.
  • The study also considered several other factors such as end-tidal sevoflurane concentration, additional ketamine dosage, age, nerve block application, duration of hypotension, and temperament.

Results

Data analysis showed that overall the quality of post-anesthesia recovery was not significantly different between the two groups.

  • No significant differences were found in VAS scores and time to standing (a measure of recovery time) between the two drug groups.
  • The only aspects in which the groups differed were end-tidal sevoflurane concentration and extra ketamine dosages given after anaesthetic induction.
  • Some factors such as increased age, not receiving a nerve block, a longer duration of hypotension and displaying a nervous temperament, were all found to influence VAS scores, regardless of the anaesthesia regimen used.

Conclusion

The conclusion drawn from this research study is that whether horses receive dexmedetomidine or romifidine for post-anaesthetic sedation after sevoflurane anaesthesia does not create significantly different outcomes in terms of recovery time and quality. This finding suggests that both dexmedetomidine and romifidine are effective and can be used interchangeably to improve recovery quality in horses after sevoflurane anesthesia. The authors also indicate the need for a universal recovery scale to enable comparisons between different studies.

Cite This Article

APA
Hector RC, Rezende ML, Mama KR, Hess AM. (2020). Recovery quality following a single post-anaesthetic dose of dexmedetomidine or romifidine in sevoflurane anaesthetised horses. Equine Vet J, 52(5), 685-691. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13238

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 52
Issue: 5
Pages: 685-691

Researcher Affiliations

Hector, Rachel C
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Rezende, Marlis L
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Mama, Khursheed R
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Hess, Ann M
  • Department of Statistics, College of Natural Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Anesthetics, Inhalation
  • Animals
  • Dexmedetomidine
  • Horses
  • Imidazoles
  • Prospective Studies
  • Sevoflurane

References

This article includes 23 references
  1. Johnston GM. Findings from the CEPEF epidemiological studies into equine perioperative complications.. Equine Vet Educ 2005;15(S7):64-8.
  2. Matthews NS, Hartsfield SM, Mercer D, Beleau MH, Mackenthun A. Recovery from sevoflurane anesthesia in horses: comparison to isoflurane and effect of postmedication with xylazine.. Vet Surg 1998;27(5):480-5.
  3. Bienert A, Bartmann CP, von Oppen T, Poppe C, Schiemann V, Deegen E. Standing behavior in horses after inhalation anesthesia with isoflurane (Isoflo) and postanesthetic sedation with romifidine (Sedivet) or xylazine (Rompun).. Deutsche Tierarztliche Wochenschrift 2003;110(6):244-8.
  4. Steffey EP, Mama KR, Brosnan RJ, Imai A, Maxwell LK, Cole CA. Effect of administration of propofol and xylazine hydrochloride on recovery of horses after four hours of anesthesia with desflurane.. Am J Vet Res 2009;70(8):956-63.
  5. Santos M, Fuente M, Garcia-Iturralde P, Herran R, Lopez-Sanroman J, Tendillo FJ. Effects of alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonists during recovery from isoflurane anaesthesia in horses.. Equine Vet J 2003;35(2):170-5.
  6. Guedes AGP, Tearney CC, Cenani A, Aristizabal F, Nieto J. Comparison between the effects of postanesthetic xylazine and dexmedetomidine on characteristics of recovery from sevoflurane anesthesia in horses.. Vet Anaesth Analg 2017;44(2):273-80.
  7. Woodhouse KJ, Brosnan RJ, Nguyen KQ, Moniz GW, Galuppo LD. Effects of postanesthetic sedation with romifidine or xylazine on quality of recovery from isoflurane anesthesia in horses.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2013;242(4):533-9.
  8. England GCW, Clarke KW, Goossens L. A comparison of the sedative effects of three α2-adrenoceptor agonists (romifidine, detomidine and xylazine) in the horse.. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 1992;15(2):194-201.
  9. Rezende ML, Grimsrud KN, Stanley SD, Steffey EP, Mama KR. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of intravenous dexmedetomidine in the horse.. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 2015;38(1):15-23.
  10. Marcilla MG, Schauvliege S, Segaert S, Duchateau L, Gasthuys F. Influence of a constant rate infusion of dexmedetomidine on cardiopulmonary function and recovery quality in isoflurane anaesthetized horses.. Vet Anaesth Analg 2012;39(1):49-58.
  11. Sacks M, Ringer SK, Bischofberger AS, Berchtold SM, Bettschart-Wolfensberger R. Clinical comparison of dexmedetomidine and medetomidine for isoflurane balanced anaesthesia in horses.. Vet Anaesth Analg 2017;44(5):1128-38.
  12. Risberg ÅI, Ranheim B, Krontveit RI, Lervik A, Haga HA. The cardiovascular status of isoflurane-anaesthetized horses with and without dexmedetomidine constant rate infusion evaluated at equivalent depths of anaesthesia.. Vet Anaesth Analg 2016;43(4):412-23.
  13. Bryant CE, England GC, Clarke KW. Comparison of the sedative effects of medetomidine and xylazine in horses.. Vet Rec 1991;129(19):421-3.
  14. Bettschart-Wolfensberger R, Freeman SL, Bowen IM, Aliabadi FS, Weller R, Huhtinen M. Cardiopulmonary effects and pharmacokinetics of iv dexmedetomidine in ponies.. Equine Vet J 2005;37(1):60-4.
  15. Kerr CL, McDonell WN, Young SS. A comparison of romifidine and xylazine when used with diazepam/ketamine for short duration anesthesia in the horse.. Can Vet J 1996;37(10):601-9.
  16. Freeman SL, England GCW. Investigation of romifidine and detomidine for the clinical sedation of horses.. Veterinary Record 2000;147(18):507-11.
  17. Whitehair KJ, Steffey EP, Willits NH, Woliner MJ. Recovery of horses from inhalation anesthesia.. Am J Vet Res 1993;54(10):1693-702.
  18. Brosnan RJ, Steffey EP, Escobar A. Effects of hypercapnic hyperpnea on recovery from isoflurane or sevoflurane anesthesia in horses.. Vet Anaesth Analg 2012;39(4):335-44.
  19. Wojtasiak-Wypart M, Soma LR, Rudy JA, Uboh CE, Boston RC, Driessen B. Pharmacokinetic profile and pharmacodynamic effects of romifidine hydrochloride in the horse.. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 2012;35(5):478-88.
  20. Kain ZN, Mayes LC, Caldwell-Andrews AA, Karas DE, McClain BC. Preoperative anxiety, postoperative pain, and behavioral recovery in young children undergoing surgery.. Pediatrics 2006;118(2):651-8.
  21. Grandy JL, Steffey EP, Hodgson DS, Woliner MJ. Arterial hypotension and the development of postanesthetic myopathy in halothane-anesthetized horses.. Am J Vet Res 1987;48(2):192-7.
  22. Young SS, Taylor PM. Factors influencing the outcome of equine anaesthesia: a review of 1314 cases.. Equine Vet J 1993;25(2):147-51.
  23. Santos LCP, De Moraes AN, Saito ME. Effects of intraarticular ropivacaine and morphine on lipopolysaccharide-induced synovitis in horses.. Vet Anaesth Analg 2009;36(3):280-6.

Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Du D, Qiao Q, Guan Z, Gao YF, Wang Q. Combined sevoflurane-dexmedetomidine and nerve blockade on post-surgical serum oxidative stress biomarker levels in thyroid cancer patients. World J Clin Cases 2022 Apr 6;10(10):3027-3034.
    doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i10.3027pubmed: 35647114google scholar: lookup
  2. 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
  3. Medina-Bautista F, Nocera I, Sánchez de Medina A, Di Franco C, Briganti A, Morgaz J, Granados MDM. An Ultrasound-Guided Thoracolumbar Erector Spinae Plane Block: An Experimental Preliminary Study in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 1;15(15).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15152264pubmed: 40805053google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,727 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.