Effect of local anaesthesia and/or analgesia on pain responses induced by piglet castration

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Surgical castration in male piglets is painful and methods that reduce this pain are requested. This study evaluated the effect of local anaesthesia and analgesia on vocal, physiological and behavioural responses during and after castration. A second purpose was to evaluate if herdsmen can effectively administer anaesthesia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Four male piglets in each of 141 litters in five herds were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: castration without local anaesthesia or analgesia (C, controls), analgesia (M, meloxicam), local anaesthesia (L, lidocaine), or both local anaesthesia and analgesia (LM). Lidocaine (L, LM) was injected at least three minutes before castration and meloxicam (M, LM) was injected after castration. During castration, vocalisation was measured and resistance movements judged. Behaviour observations were carried out on the castration day and the following day. The day after castration, castration wounds were ranked, ear and skin temperature was measured, and blood samples were collected for analysis of acute phase protein Serum Amyloid A concentration (SAA). Piglets were weighed on the castration day and at three weeks of age. Sickness treatments and mortality were recorded until three weeks of age.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Piglets castrated with lidocaine produced calls with lower intensity (<it>p </it>< 0.001) and less resistance movements (<it>p </it>< 0.001) during castration. Piglets that were given meloxicam displayed less pain-related behaviour (huddled up, spasms, rump-scratching, stiffness and prostrated) on both the castration day (<it>p </it>= 0.06, n.s.) and the following day (<it>p </it>= 0.02). Controls had less swollen wounds compared to piglets assigned to treatments M, L and LM (<it>p </it>< 0.001). The proportion of piglets with high SAA concentration (over threshold values 200, 400 mg/l) was higher (<it>p </it>= 0.005; <it>p </it>= 0.05) for C + L compared to M + LM. Ear temperature was higher (<it>p </it>< 0.01) for controls compared to L and LM. There were no significant treatment effects for skin temperature, weight gain, sickness treatments or mortality.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The study concludes that lidocaine reduced pain during castration and that meloxicam reduced pain after castration. The study also concludes that the herdsmen were able to administer local anaesthesia effectively.</p

Infusão contínua de morfina ou fentanil, associados à lidocaína e cetamina, em cães anestesiados com isofluorano

A técnica de analgesia multimodal, por meio da infusão contínua de fármacos, pode ser empregada para diminuir a incidência de sensibilização central durante a anestesia. Avaliaram-se as características cardiorrespiratórias, durante o procedimento de artroscopia de joelho, em cães anestesiados com isofluorano e monitorados por meio do índice biespectral, submetidos à infusão contínua de morfina ou fentanil, associada à lidocaína e cetamina. Utilizaram-se 16 cães adultos, machos ou fêmeas, os quais foram distribuídos aleatoriamente em dois grupos, denominados MLK - que recebeu morfina (3,3μg/kg/min), lidocaína (50μg/kg/min) e cetamina (10μg/kg/min) ou FLK - em que foi substituída a morfina pelo fentanil (0,03μg/kg/min). Os cães foram pré-tratados com levomepromazina (0,5mg/kg IV), induzidos à anestesia com propofol (5mg/kg) e mantidos com isofluorano, ajustando-se a concentração para obterem-se valores de índice biespectral entre 55 e 65. As mensurações da frequência cardíaca (FC), dos parâmetros eletrocardiográficos (ECG), das pressões arteriais sistólica (PAS), diastólica (PAD) e média (PAM), da tensão de dióxido de carbono expirado (EtCO2), da saturação de oxi-hemoglobina (SpO2), da frequência respiratória (FR) e da temperatura esofágica (T) iniciaram-se 30 minutos após a indução (M0) e continuaram após o início da infusão das soluções, em intervalos de 15 minutos (M15 a M75). Diferenças entre os grupos foram registradas para duração do complexo QRS (M60), para FC e T, entre M30 e M75, com MLK apresentando médias maiores que FLK, que registrou médias maiores que MLK para a SpO2 (M60), para os intervalos QT (M30 e M75) e RR (M0, M60 e M75). Concluiu-se que o emprego de morfina ou fentanil, associados à lidocaína e cetamina, promove efeitos semelhantes e não compromete as características avaliadas.The multimodal analgesia technique by continuous infusion of drugs can be used to decrease central sensitization during anesthesia. Cardiorespiratory parameters in isofluorane-anesthetized dogs during joint arthroscopy were evaluated. For this, 16 adult mongrel dogs were randomly divided into two groups, named MLK (morphine (3.3mg/kg/min), lidocaine (50μg/kg/min) and ketamine (10mg/kg/min)) or FLK (replacing morphine by fentanyl (0.03mg/kg/min). Levomepromazine (0.5mg/kg IV) was used as a preanesthetic medication, and propofol (5mg/kg IV) was used for induction and isoflurane was used for maintained general anesthesia, allowing the bispectral index to be maintained between 55 and 65. The measurements of heart rate (HR), eletrocardiographic, systolic (SAP), diastolic (DAP) and mean (MAP) arterial pressures, end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure (ETCO2), pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) respiratory rate (RR) and esophageal temperature (T) were performed 30 minutes after induction (M0), and after the infusion of solutions, at 15 minute intervals (M15 to M75). Differences between groups were registered for the duration of the QRS complex (M60), for HR and T (from M30 to M75), with MLK recording a higher mean than FLK, which registered a lower value than MLK for SpO2 (M60), QT (M30 and M75) and RR (M0, M60 and M75) intervals. It was concluded that morphine or fentanyl, associated with lidocaine and ketamine, promotes similar effects and does not impair the parameters evaluated.Unesp Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e VeterináriasUnesp Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinária

Effects of subcutaneous methadone, morphine, buprenorphine or saline on thermal and pressure thresholds in cats

This study compared pressure and thermal thresholds after administration of three opioids in eight cats. Pressure stimulation was performed via a bracelet taped around the forearm. Three ball-bearings were advanced against the forearm by inflation of a modified blood pressure bladder. Pressure in the cuff was recorded at the end point (leg shake and head turn). Thermal threshold was tested as previously reported using a heated probe held against the thorax [Dixon et al. (2002) Research in Veterinary Science, 72, 205]. After baseline recordings, each cat received subcutaneous methadone 0.2 mg/kg, morphine 0.2 mg/kg, buprenorphine 0.02 mg/kg or saline 0.3 mL in a four period cross-over study. Measurements were made at 15, 30, 45 min and 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h after the injection. Data were analysed by ANOVA (P < 0.05). There were no significant changes in thresholds after saline. Thermal threshold increased at 45 min after buprenorphine (maximum 2.8 +/- 3 degrees C), 1-3 h after methadone (maximum 3.4 +/- 1.9 degrees C) and 45 min to 1 h (maximum 3.4 +/- 2 degrees C) after morphine. Pressure threshold increased 30-45 min (maximum 238 +/- 206 mmHg) after buprenorphine, 45-60 min after methadone (maximum 255 +/- 232 mmHg) and 45-60 min and 3-6 h (maximum 255 +/- 232 mmHg) after morphine. Morphine provided the best analgesia, and methadone appears a promising alternative. Buprenorphines limited effect was probably related to the subcutaneous route of administration. Previously, buprenorphine has produced much greater effects when given by other routes