Effects of Detomidine Constant Rate Infusion on Blood Glucose and Lactate in Sevoflurane Anesthetized Horses ; Acta Scientiae Veterinariae

Background: The drugs that promote sedation, analgesia, and anesthesia, as inhalatory agents, phenothiazines, benzodiazepines, alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, and opioids, can promote different kinds of side effects. The concept of a balanced anesthesia in equine was developed in order to minimize adverse effects inherent to anesthesia, creating a combination of lower doses of these drugs in comparison with the doses of each one used alone. Alpha-2-adrenoceptor agonists such as xylazine, detomidine, and others, are drugs used for standing sedation, analgesia, and reduction of volatile anesthetic requirement in the equine as well as an agent used to maintenance of arterial blood pressure during anesthesia. Alpha-2 agonists works stimulating receptors of autonomic neurons inducing reduction of heart rate, cardiac output and vascular resistance, hypertension, behavioral changes, and inhibition of insulin secretion. This reduction in insulin levels increases blood glucose concentration in horses due to its lower utilization in insulin-dependent tissues, as muscular and adipose tissues. Muscular tissue is capable to maintain a constant lactate production even in a well oxygenated environment in order to maintain its cellular activity, especially in cases when glucose is not available. To evaluate the effect on blood glucose and lactate, horses were submitted to one hour of detomidine constant rate infusion during sevoflurane inhalatory anesthesia with controlled ventilation, in order to assess blood concentration of glucose and lactate Materials, Methods & Results: Four adult horses were studied. Detomidine 20 g.kg-1 was used as premedication followed by an association of ketamine and diazepam intravenously as anesthetic induction. After intubation, sevoflurane was vaporized at approximately 2.3 V%. Mechanical ventilation was established. After stabilization, an intravenous continuous rate infusion (CRI) of detomidine 5 g.kg.h-1 was started. Venous blood samples were collected before premedication, prior to ...