Comparison of alfaxalone, ketamine and thiopental for anaesthetic induction and recovery in Thoroughbred horses premedicated with medetomidine and midazolam

Abstract

All 3 drugs showed similar effects in relation to anaesthetic induction and recovery qualities and cardiopulmonary responses. However, alfaxalone and thiopental prolonged recovery time compared with ketamine.

Induction of anesthesia and recovery in donkeys sedated with xylazine: a comparison of midazolam–alfaxalone and midazolam–ketamine

“…Time to lateral recumbency after drug administration was shorter with alfaxalone compared with ketamine, although both resulted in a good induction. These findings are comparable with those in horses and ponies (Goodwin et al 2011;Kloppel & Leece 2011;Wakuno et al 2017) and suggest that alfaxalone could be expected to provide satisfactory induction to anesthesia in a similar population of donkeys as those in the present study. Donkeys had a longer recovery time after anesthetic induction with alfaxalone compared with ketamine.…”

“…Donkeys had a longer recovery time after anesthetic induction with alfaxalone compared with ketamine. This is consistent with studies in horses comparing recovery after a single induction dose of alfaxalone or ketamine (Keates et al 2012;Wakuno et al 2017) The time to standing after xylazineemidazolameketamine (33 minutes) was similar to xylazineeketamine (24 minutes) (Matthews et al 1992) and xylazineebutorphanoleketamine (28 minutes) (Matthews et al 2002) in donkeys.…”

“…The advantages of alfaxalone as an induction agent include minimal cardiopulmonary effects, rapid and smooth induction and satisfactory recovery. Studies of alfaxalone for induction and maintenance of anesthesia in horses have described clinical anesthesia with cardiopulmonary variables within acceptable ranges (Leece et al 2009;Kloppel & Leece 2011;Keates et al 2012;Wakuno et al 2017).…”

Clinical insights: Equine anaesthesia and analgesia

“…Identification of new anaesthetic drugs or drug combinations to improve the quality of equine induction and recovery is an important area of research. Alfaxalone, a synthetic neuroactive steroid that binds to gamma-aminobutryic acid A (GABA) receptors in the central nervous system causing unconsciousness and muscle relaxation, was compared with ketamine and thiopental for anaesthetic induction following midazolam and medetomidine premedication [7]. Alfaxalone (1 mg/kg bodyweight) had anaesthetic induction and recovery scores that were not significantly different to ketamine and thiopental; however, more horses administered alfaxalone had a lower (poorer quality with muscle rigidity and movement) induction and higher (better quality) recovery score compared with ketamine.…”

Improving the quality of neurosteroid induced anaesthesia in rodents

“…Multiple reports suggest muscular rigidity and motor excitability after alfaxalone anaesthesia in several species like swine (Gonzalez et al, 2013), horses (Wakuno et al, 2017), ponies (Deutsch et al, 2017a), cats (Deutsch et al, 2017b) and dogs (Maney, 2017) which can be seen as limb paddling, psychomotor excitement, hyperaesthesia, minor to violent muscular twitching, stumbling, falling, etc. (Jones, 2012).…”