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BMC veterinary research2014; 10 Suppl 1(Suppl 1); S6; doi: 10.1186/1746-6148-10-S1-S6

Systemic and anti-nociceptive effects of prolonged lidocaine, ketamine, and butorphanol infusions alone and in combination in healthy horses.

Abstract: Prolonged drug infusions are used to treat horses with severe signs of pain, but can be associated with altered gastrointestinal transit. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of prolonged constant rate infusions (CRI) of lidocaine (L), butorphanol (B), and ketamine (K) alone and in combination on gastrointestinal transit, behavior, and thermal nociceptive threshold in healthy horses. Methods: Eight healthy adult horses were used in a randomized, cross-over, blinded, prospective experimental trial. Interventions were saline, L, K, B, LK, LB, BK, and LBK as an intravenous CRI for 96 hours. Drugs were mixed or diluted in saline; following a bolus, CRI rate was 0.15 mL/kg/hr with drug doses as follows: L - 1.3 mg/kg then 3 mg/kg/hr; B - 0.018 mg/kg then 0.013 mg/kg/hr; K - 0.55 mg/kg then 0.5 mg/kg/hr. Two-hundred plastic beads were administered intragastrically by nasogastric tube immediately prior to the bolus. Feces were collected every 2 hours, weighed, and beads manually retrieved. Behavior was scored every 2 hours, vital parameters every 6 hours, and thermal nociceptive threshold every 12 hours for 96 hours. Drug concentrations in the LBK solution were tested every 6 hours for 72 hours. Results: Four of 64 trials (3 LBK, 1 BK) were discontinued early due to signs of abdominal discomfort. There were no apparent differences between groups in vital parameters or thermal threshold. Transit time was delayed for LB and LBK with a corresponding decrease in fecal weight that was most severe in the final 24 hours of infusion. Significant changes in behavior scores, vital parameters, or thermal threshold were not observed. The concentration of each drug in the combined solution declined by less than 31% over the sampling period. Conclusions: Drug combinations containing butorphanol cause an apparent delay in gastrointestinal transit in healthy horses without substantially affecting somatic nociception at the doses studied. Combinations of lidocaine and ketamine may have less impact on gastrointestinal transit than infusions combined with butorphanol. Further work is needed to determine the effects of these drugs in painful or critically ill patients.
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Publication Date: 2014-07-07 PubMed ID: 25238633PubMed Central: PMC4123056DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-10-S1-S6Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Clinical Trial
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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 aimed to assess if prolonged drug infusion with lidocaine, butorphanol, and ketamine individually or in combination affects pain threshold, behavior, and importantly, gastrointestinal transit in healthy horses.

Objective of the Study

  • The main objective of the study was to investigate the effects of prolonged constant rate infusions (CRI) with lidocaine (L), butorphanol (B), and ketamine (K) alone and their combinations, on the gastrointestinal transit, behavior, and thermal nociceptive threshold of healthy horses.

Methodology

  • A randomized, cross-over, blinded, prospective experimental trial was conducted that involved eight healthy adult horses. The duration of the treatment was 96 hours.
  • An intravenous CRI of saline, L, K, B, combinations of LK, LB, BK, and LBK was administered to the horses. The drugs were either mixed or diluted in saline. The doses of the drugs were as follows: L was 1.3 mg/kg followed by 3 mg/kg/hr; B was 0.018 mg/kg, followed by 0.013 mg/kg/hr; K was 0.55 mg/kg then 0.5 mg/kg/hr.
  • Two-hundred plastic beads were introduced into the horse’s stomach via a nasogastric tube before the bolus. Fecal samples were collected every two hours, weighed, and beads were manually retrieved
  • Behavior was scored every two hours, vital parameters were taken every six hours, and thermal nociceptive threshold was measured every twelve hours over the course of 96 hours.
  • The concentrations of drugs in the LBK solution were checked every six hours for 72 hours.

Results

  • Four out of 64 trials were stopped prematurely due to the onset of abdominal discomfort.
  • No discernible differences in vital parameters or thermal threshold between the groups were observed.
  • LB and LBK showed the most delay in transit time and decrease in fecal weight, mainly in the last 24 hours of infusion. This indicates a delay in gastrointestinal transit.
  • Behavior scores, vital parameters, and thermal threshold did not see significant changes.
  • The concentration of each drug in the LBK solution gradually declined by less than 31% over the 72 hours of testing.

Conclusion

  • The study concludes that drug combinations that include butorphanol resulted in slowing down the gastrointestinal transit in healthy horses, without substantially affecting somatic nociception at the doses investigated.
  • Combinations of lidocaine and ketamine may have a lesser impact on gastrointestinal transit compared to infusions combined with butorphanol.
  • Further research is required to define the impacts of these drugs on horses that are in pain or critically ill.

Cite This Article

APA
Elfenbein JR, Robertson SA, MacKay RJ, KuKanich B, Sanchez L. (2014). Systemic and anti-nociceptive effects of prolonged lidocaine, ketamine, and butorphanol infusions alone and in combination in healthy horses. BMC Vet Res, 10 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), S6. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-10-S1-S6

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 10 Suppl 1
Issue: Suppl 1
Pages: S6

Researcher Affiliations

Elfenbein, Johanna R
    Robertson, Sheilah A
      MacKay, Robert J
        KuKanich, Butch
          Sanchez, L

            MeSH Terms

            • Analgesics / administration & dosage
            • Analgesics / pharmacology
            • Anesthetics, Local / administration & dosage
            • Anesthetics, Local / pharmacology
            • Animals
            • Butorphanol / administration & dosage
            • Butorphanol / pharmacology
            • Drug Therapy, Combination
            • Gastrointestinal Motility / drug effects
            • Horses
            • Ketamine / administration & dosage
            • Ketamine / pharmacology
            • Lidocaine / administration & dosage
            • Lidocaine / pharmacology
            • Narcotic Antagonists / administration & dosage
            • Narcotic Antagonists / pharmacology
            • Nociception / drug effects

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            Citations

            This article has been cited 6 times.
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