Avaliação da anestesia peridural e do bloqueio perineural dos nervos ciático e femoral com lidocaína 2% em cães anestesiados pelo isoflurano e submetidos à cirurgia de correção de ruptura de ligamento cruzado cranial

The lumbosacral plexus innervates the pelvic limb in dogs. The femoral and sciatic nerves are the main branches originated from lumbar and sacral plexus, respectively. Peripheral nerve blocks of femoral and sciatic has been reported as an alternative to epidural anesthesia for perioperative pain management.This study aimed to compare the perioperative efficacy of epidural and combined femoral and sciatic nerve blocks, carried out with or without peripheral nerve stimulator assistance. Lidocaine was adminitraded to 29 dogs undergoing stifle surgery, randomly assigned into three treatments: PD (n = 10): epidural; PN (n = 10) combined femoral and sciatic nerve blocks performed with peripheral nerve stimulator guidance; RA (n = 9): femoral and sciatic nerve blockade using anatomical landmarks. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and rectal temperature (Tº) were monitored. Fentanyl (3.0 mcg.kg-1 - IV) was given if it was observed increase in HR, SBP or MAP (more than 20% of baselines values). Pain and sedation were evaluated in the moments M1, M2, M4, M6, M8, M10, M12 and M24 after surgery. Pain assessment was performed using a Glasgow modified scales (GMS), scale of the Colorado State University (CSU) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS).If pain scores were higher than 3.33 in GMS or VAS, or higher than 2 in CSU morphine (0.5 mg.kg-1 - IM) was administrated. Statistical analysis was performed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the parametric variables. To compare treatments we used the Kruskal-Wallis test, and for the moments the Friedman test. The backlog of rescues was adjusted in a Logistic regression for each treatment. A 5% significance level was adopted. Epidural abolished the need for intraoperative rescue analgesia, differing significantly from the PN and RA treatments that need rescue during the surgical procedure. RA required more trans-operative analgesics than PN, ...O plexo lombossacro é o principal responsável pela inervação do membro pélvico em cães, sendo os nervos femoral e ciático os principais feixes neurais originados dos plexos lombar e sacral, respectivamente. O bloqueio perineural femoral e ciático tem sido relatado como alternativa a anestesia peridural para o controle de dor perioperatória. Objetivou-se comparar a eficácia da lidocaína 2% com vasoconstritor administrada pela via peridural ao bloqueio dos nervos femoral e ciático, realizados com ou sem o auxílio de estimulador de nervos periféricos, durante o período transoperatório, e a sua ação analgésica residual durante 24 horas após a cirurgia. Foram empregados 29 cães submetidos à cirurgia para reparação de ruptura de ligamento cruzado cranial, divididos aleatoriamente em três tratamentos: PD (n=10): administração de lidocaína por via peridural; PN (n=10): administração de lidocaína perineural femoral e ciática, com a utilização de estimulador de nervos periféricos; RA (n=9): administração de lidocaína perineural femoral e ciática utilizando-se referências anatômicas. Foram monitoradas as frequências cardíaca (FC) e respiratória (f), as pressões arteriais sistólica (PAS) e média (PAM), e temperatura retal (Tº). Fentanil (3,0 mcg.kg-1 - IV) foi administrado imediatamente após qualquer registro de elevação nos valores de FC, PAS ou PAM, igual ou superior a 20% dos valores iniciais respectivos. Durante o período pós-operatório os animais foram avaliados quanto a dor e a sedação nos momentos M1, M2, M4, M6, M8, M10, M12 e M24. Para avaliação de dor foram utilizadas as Escalas de Glasgow modificada (EGM), da Universidade do Colorado (EUC) e Analógica Visual (EAV). Escores de dor superiores a 3,33 na EGM e EAV, e a 2 na EUC foram interpretados como necessidade de resgate analgésico sendo administrada morfina (0,5 mg.kg-1 - IM). A análise estatística foi realizada pela Análise...Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Cerebellar tomographic attenuation of healthy felines

The cerebellum is responsible for coordination and maintenance of the fine control of muscle contraction. In cases of a suspected cerebellar disorder, a computed tomography scan can be performed to identify structural change. The aim of this study is to describe the cerebellar tomographic attenuation values in healthy cats since this variable is considered of great importance in the evaluation of images obtained by this imaging modality. A simple and a contrast enhanced brain computed tomographic scan were performed in 15 adult cats with no history of neurological symptoms and negative for feline leukemia and immunodeficiency virus. After acquiring the image, the measurement of the average attenuation of a cerebellar area of 2 centimeters in diameter was obtained. The cerebellar tomographic attenuation showed a variation from 14.60 to 25.50 HU in the simple scan and from 25.50 to 33.40 HU in the enhanced phase. Most animals (73.33%) had precontrast cerebellar attenuation values within the stipulated limit for the brain in a previous study (20-41 HU). Four animals in this study (26.67%) had values lower than 20 HU, which can be explained by differences in cellular composition between these two regions. The average value of contrast enhancement was 4.91 HU, and in none of the animals an enhancement greater than 10 HU was observed, which is in agreement with previous studies

Leptomeningeal enhancement in computed tomography of feline brains

Contrast enhancement enables the verification of several pathological conditions that lead to vascular changes and/or breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. Examples of diseases that cause these disorders are: neoplastic diseases, vascular communications, active inflammation and cerebral ischemia. Several contrast enhancements located peripherically to cerebral lobes, in the topography of brain sulci and gyri, were identified on tomographic scan of twelve healthy cats that had their health confirmed through history, general and neurologic physical examination and polymerase chain reaction for feline leukemia (FeLV) and immunodeficiency (FIV) virus. This study aims to describe the tomographic contrast enhancement findings, which showed an identical appearance to the pia mater and arachnoid enhancement, also called leptomeninges. This finding is generally considered related to leptomeningeal diseases such as meningitis and neoplastic disease. However, in dogs, the leptomeningeal enhancement has already been described in healthy animals. This finding has a great importance in the interpretation of tomographic images of these animals since, so far, in the presence of these enhancements, meningeal disorders were suggested. Thus, the verification of other tomographic findings and the combination with other diagnostic methods are of great importance for the diagnosis of leptomeningeal disease

Refinement and partial validation of the UNESP-Botucatu multidimensional composite pain scale for assessing postoperative pain in horses

Background: Quantification of pain plays a vital role in the diagnosis and management of pain in animals. In order to refine and validate an acute pain scale for horses a prospective, randomized, blinded study was conducted. Twenty-four client owned adult horses were recruited and allocated to one of four following groups: anaesthesia only (GA); pre-emptive analgesia and anaesthesia (GAA,); anaesthesia, castration and postoperative analgesia (GC); or pre-emptive analgesia, anaesthesia and castration (GCA). One investigator, unaware of the treatment group, assessed all horses at time-points before and after intervention and completed the pain scale. Videos were also obtained at these time-points and were evaluated by a further four blinded evaluators who also completed the scale. The data were used to investigate the relevance, specificity, criterion validity and inter-and intra-observer reliability of each item on the pain scale, and to evaluate construct validity and responsiveness of the scale.Results: Construct validity was demonstrated by the observed differences in scores between the groups, four hours after anaesthetic recovery and before administration of systemic analgesia in the GC group. Inter-and intra-observer reliability for the items was only satisfactory. Subsequently the pain scale was refined, based on results for relevance, specificity and total item correlation.Conclusions: Scale refinement and exclusion of items that did not meet predefined requirements generated a selection of relevant pain behaviours in horses. After further validation for reliability, these may be used to evaluate pain under clinical and experimental conditions