The use of ultrasound to assist epidural injection in obese dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of ultrasound for identifying the site for needle puncture and to determine the depth to the epidural space in obese dogs. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study in dogs undergoing elective orthopedic surgery. ANIMALS: A group of seven obese Labrador male dogs aged 6.93 ± 2.56 years and weighing 46.5 ± 4.1 kg (mean ± standard deviation). METHODS: The anesthetic protocol for these dogs included epidural anesthesia. With the dogs anesthetized and positioned in sternal recumbency with the pelvic limbs flexed forward, ultrasound imaging was used to locate the lumbosacral intervertebral space. Intersection of dorsal and transverse lines about the probe identified the point of needle insertion. A 17 gauge, 8.9 cm Tuohy needle was inserted perpendicularly through the skin and advanced to the lumbosacral intervertebral space. The number of puncture attempts was recorded and needle depth was compared with skin to ligamentum flavum distance. RESULTS: Epidural injection was performed in all dogs at the first attempt of needle insertion. The distance from skin to epidural space was 5.95 ± 0.62 cm measured by ultrasound and 5.89 ± 0.64 cm measured with the Tuohy needle. These measurements were not different (p = 0.26). A highly significant correlation coefficient of 0.966 between measurement techniques was obtained (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Ultrasound imaging identified the point of needle insertion for lumbosacral epidural injection in seven obese dogs. The results indicate that ultrasound can be used to locate the lumbosacral intervertebral space and identify an appropriate point for needle insertion to perform epidural injection.

Anesthetic complications in diabetic dogs subjected to phacoemulsification / Complicações anestésicas em cães diabéticos submetidos a facoemulsificação

The aim of this paper was to compare the incidence of anesthetic complications in diabetic and nondiabetic dogs subjected to phacoemulsification. In total, 30 male and female dogs of different breeds were used. The dogs were distributed into two groups: diabetic (DG) (n=15) and control (CG) (n=15). The animals were premedicated with acepromazine (0.03mg/kg) and meperidine (4mg/kg), intramuscularly. After 20 minutes, anesthesia was induced with propofol (2 to 5mg/kg) and maintained with isoflurane. The animals were monitored and the heart rate, respiratory rate, peripheral oxyhemoglobin saturation, end tidal carbon dioxide tension, inspired and expired isoflurane fraction, and invasive arterial pressure were recorded at 10 minute intervals during the surgical procedure. Arterial hemogasometry was performed after anesthetic induction (T0) and at the end of the surgical procedure. Diabetic patients (DG 10±2 years) were older than non-diabetic group (CG 6±2 years). The expired isoflurane fraction after induction was 30% higher in the control group (CG 1.3±0.3%, DG 1.0±0.2%) (p<0.01). The most common anesthetic complication was hypotension. In total, 80% of the diabetic animals (n=12) exhibited mean arterial pressure (MAP) lower than 60mmHg (54±9.6mmHg) after anesthetic induction, and 83% of the hypotensive dogs (n=10) required vasoactive drugs to treat hypotension. Regarding hemodynamic changes, diabetic patients subjected to general anesthesia were more likely to exhibit hypotension which may be due to the response of older animals to the drugs used; however, this change deserves further investigation.(AU)

O objetivo do presente estudo foi comparar a incidência de complicações anestésicas em cães diabéticos e não diabéticos submetidos a cirurgia de facoemulsificação. Foram utilizados 30 cães, machos ou fêmeas de diversas raças. Os cães foram distribuídos em dois grupos: diabético (GD) (n=15) e controle (GC) (n=15). Os animais foram pré-tratados com acepromazina (0,03mg/kg) e meperidina (4mg/kg), pela via intramuscular. Após 20 minutos, a indução foi realizada com propofol (2 a 5mg/kg) e a manutenção da anestesia com isofluorano. Os animais foram monitorados e as variáveis de frequência cardíaca, frequência respiratória, saturação oxihemoglobina periférica, concentração dióxido de carbono no final da expiração, fração inspirada e expirada de isofluorano e pressão arterial invasiva, foram registradas em intervalos de 10 minutos durante o procedimento cirúrgico. A hemogasometria arterial foi realizada após a indução (T0) e ao final do procedimento cirúrgico (T40). A idade dos animais do grupo diabético (10±2 anos) foi superior em relação aos animais do grupo controle (6±2 anos) (p<0,0001). A concentração expirada de isofluorano após a indução foi 30% superior nos animais do grupo controle (GC 1,3±0,3%, GD 1,0±0,2%) (p<0,01). A complicação anestésica mais comum foi a hipotensão arterial, 80% dos animais diabéticos (n=12) apresentaram pressão arterial média inferior a 60mmHg (54±9.6 mmHg) após indução anestésica; 83% dos cães hipotensos (n=10) necessitaram de fármacos vasoativos para tratamento da hipotensão. Com relação às alterações hemodinâmicas, os pacientes diabéticos submetidos à anestesia geral foram mais propensos à hipotensão arterial que pode ser decorrente da resposta dos animais mais velhos aos fármacos empregados; entretanto essa alteração merece maior investigação.(AU)