Muscle relaxants in canine anaesthesia 2: Clinical application

Abstract

There are a variety of factors which are likely to influence the action of muscle relaxants in canine anaesthesia. These include age, body temperature and muscle diseases. Of the anaesthetic agents it is only the inhalational anaesthetic agents which significantly increase the duration of action of muscle relaxants. Antibiotic therapy particularly with the aminoglycoside antibiotics is likely to increase their duration of action. The indications for the use of muscle relaxants and the main contraindications such as the absence of anaesthetic equipment and the inability to ensure unconsciousness are discussed. The choice of anaesthetic technique together with a discussion on the premedication induction and maintenance of anaesthesia are important factors when using relaxants as is the technique of artificial ventilation. The various advantages and disadvantages of neuromuscular block monitoring are discussed as is the reversal of neuromuscular block.

Antibiotic therapeutics in laboratory animals

“…aminoglycosides, polypeptide antibiotics and possibly tetracyclines), should be used with great care when neuromuscular blocking agents are used as part of the anaesthetic protocol (Jones 1992).…”

Measurement of the activity of neuromuscular blocking agents by train-of-four and their effect on the coagulation profiles of dogs undergoing and ovariohysterectomy

“…blockage. These agents affect blockage in two ways: (Arca and Saritas, 2017) they depress the central nervous system and increase the duration and severity of blocking and (Auer, 2007) they also cause a deprivation of the motor end plate secretion of acetylcholine in the periphery (Jones, 1992;Thurmon et al, 1996;Hall and Clarke, 1999). Our research was planned with this information in mind and general anesthesia was provided with isoflurane in all three groups.…”

“…The clinical use of muscle relaxants (neuromuscularblocking agents) in veterinary anesthetics was first reported by Hall in 1952(Thurmon et al, 1996. W ith this development, the concept of "balanced anesthesia", which inc ludes anesth esia, analgesia an d neuromuscu lar blocking, was introduced into the practice of veterinary medicine (Jones, 1992;Thurmon et al, 1996). Atracurium and vecuronium, which are short-acting non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents, were introduced into clinical use after 1980.…”

“…A long-acting non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent, pipecuronium, was also developed and began being used in clinical practice. In addition to these drugs, newer neuromuscular blocking agents with reduced side effects have begun to be preferred (Jones, 1992;Hildebrand, 1995;Thurmon et al, 1996).…”