A preliminary study on effects of subanesthetic doses of preemptive ketamine given prior to premedication on total intravenous anesthesia for short- to medium-term surgical procedures in horses

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effects of subanesthetic doses of ketamine given prior to premedication on the quality of anesthesia, recovery, and postoperative pain in horses. Eighteen horses were randomly recruited into three equal groups, S, LK, and HK, wherein saline, ketamine at 0.2 mg/kg body weight (bwt), and ketamine at 0.4 mg/kg bwt were given, respectively, i.v. for 30 min as a continuous rate infusion (CRI). Horses were premedicated with xylazine at 1 mg/kg bwt i.v. and butorphanol at 0.05 mg/kg bwt i.v. after 30 min. Anesthesia was induced using ketamine and midazolam and was maintained with ketamine at 2 mg/kg/h as CRI, and bolus doses of thiopental 5% solution was given i.v. whenever necessary. Preemptive ketamine infusion clinically enhanced the quality of sedation and enabled smooth induction with significantly (P < 0.05) higher sedation and postinfusion ataxia and shorter down-time (P < 0.05) in group HK. Physiological, hematological, serological, and vital parameters remained within normal limits. All the horses recovered well without any adverse effects and stood in less than 2 h after surgery. Fluctuation in pain scores at 1 h and 2 h after the end of surgery was minimum in group HK.

Studies to Evaluate the Safety of Constant Rate Infusions of Dexmedetomidine, Ketamine and Lidocaine Alone or in Combination during Isoflurane Anesthesia in Horses

“…Fielding et al (2006) also reported significant bradycardia and decreased mean arterial blood pressure six hours after CRI of ketamine in horses. Contrary to the present study findings, CRI of ketamine used for short-to medium-term infusion did not show significant cardiovascular depressing effects in horses (Sharma et al, 2019). The changes were non-significant in Central Venous Pressure and Capillary Oxygen Saturation (SpO2) in different groups (Fig 3).…”

Recovery after General Anaesthesia in Adult Horses: A Structured Summary of the Literature

“…(4a) LoE premedication/sedation 1 (1) A comparison of romifidine and xylazine when used with diazepam/ketamine for short duration anesthesia in the horse [72] (2) Effects of additional premedication on romifidine and ketamine anaesthesia in horses [73] (3) Comparison of detomidine and romifidine as premedicants before ketamine and halothane anesthesia in horses undergoing elective surgery [74] (4) Clinical comparison of xylazine and medetomidine for premedication of horses [75] (5) Comparison of morphine and butorphanol as pre-anaesthetic agents in combination with romifidine for field castration in ponies [76] (6) The influence of butorphanol dose on characteristics of xylazine-butorphanol-propofol anesthesia in horses at altitude [77] (7) Dissociative anaesthesia during field and hospital conditions for castration of colts [78] (8) Influence of the combination of butorphanol and detomidine within premedication on the preoperative sedations score, the intraoperative cardiovascular situation and the early recovery period in horses [79] (9) Analgesic effects of butorphanol tartrate and phenylbutazone administered alone and in combination in young horses undergoing routine castration [80] (10) Comparison of acepromazine, midazolam and xylazine as preanaesthetics to ketamine-isoflurane anaesthesia in horses [81] (11) Buprenorphine provides better anaesthetic conditions than butorphanol for field castration in ponies: Results of a randomised clinical trial [82] (12) Effect of pre-and postoperative phenylbutazone and morphine administration on the breathing response to skin Incision, recovery quality, behavior, and cardiorespiratory variables in horses undergoing fetlock arthroscopy: A pilot study [83] (13) Analgesic and adjunct actions of nalbuphine hydrochloride in xylazine or xylazine and acepromazine premedicated horses [84] (14) Preemptive analgesia, including morphine, does not affect recovery quality and times in either pain-free horses or horses undergoing orchiectomy [85] (15) A preliminary study on effects of subanesthetic doses of preemptive ketamine given prior to premedication on total intravenous anesthesia for short-to medium-term surgical procedures in horses [86] (16) Effect of methadone combined with acepromazine or detomidine on sedation and dissociative anesthesia in healthy horses [87] (17) Comparison of xylazine and detomidine in combination with midazolam/ketamine for field castration in Quarter Horses [88] 2 (18) Comparison of romifidine and xylazine as premedicants before general anaesthesia in horses regarding the postsurgical recovery period [89] 3 / 4 (19) Evaluation of xylazine as a sedative and preanesthetic agent in ho...…”

Clinical and Hematological Effect of Constant Rate Infusion of Ketamine Alone and Ketamine-dexmedetomidine Combination on Isoflurane Anesthesia in Horses

“…The use of ketamine (Muir and Sams, 1992) and various alpha-2-agonists (Schauvliege et al, 2011) as constant rate infusions (CRIs) had been described in clinical and in experimental equine anaesthetic procedures. Preemptive ketamine infusion prior to premedication in horses enhanced quality of sedation and shortened the down-time in horses (Sharma et al, 2019). The use of Alpha 2 agonists as continuous rate infusions abolished many side effects of these drugs than when used as bolus infusions (Marcilla et al, 2012).…”