32 – Peri-Operative Pain Management in Large Animals Flashcards
What are the arguments for use of analgesics in large animals?
- Pain results in poor recovery from anesthesia
- Animals are restless
- Animals do not eat well
- Decreased immune response due to STRESS
- Delayed wound healing
What are the arguments against use of analgesics in large animals?
- Over-use of injured area
- Side effects
o GI ulcers
o Constipation
o Ileus (but pain can also cause it, BALANCE)
o Behavioural alterations - Masks worsening of disease process
- Difficulty in recognizing pain
Head pain behaviour in horses
- Shake
- Snort
Jaw pain behaviour in horses
- Drooling
- Dropping food
- Losing weight
Limb pain behaviour in horses
- Stomp
- Limp
- Refusal to walk
- Lying down
- Abnormal stance (ex. leaning back when front limb sore)
Abdominal pain behaviour in horses
- Kick at belly
- Flank watch
- Roll
- Tail swish
- Violent behaviour
‘pain face’ of a horse
- Lowered ears
- Contraction of muscles above eye
- Tense stare
- Dilated nostril
- Tension of facial muscles
- Edged shaped muzzle with lips pressed together and flattened chin
Pain management in horses: analgesic drugs for
- Pre-medication/sedation
- Pre-emptive pain management
- Multi-modal analgesia
Pain management in horses: infusion techniques for
- Intra-operative
- Post-operative
Pain management in horses: epidural/spinal techniques for
- Standing procedures
- Post-operative long term pain management
What are the 5 ‘classes’ of analgesic drugs used in horses?
- NSAIDs
- Alpha-2 agonists
- Ketamine
- Opioids
- Local anesthetics
What are the benefits of NSAIDs in horses?
- Analgesic
- Anti-inflammatory
What are the potential harmful side effects of NSAIDs in horses?
- Gastric and colonic ulceration
- Renal tubular necrosis
- *more with chronic use
What are the usages of NSAIDs in horses?
- often administered PRE-OPERATIVELY anticipating inflammation that will occur during surgery
What are some examples of NSAIDs in horses (2)
- phenylbutazone
- flunixin meglumine
Phenylbutazone in horses for
- musculoskeletal inflammation and pain
Flunixin meglumine in horses for
- acute soft injury
- endotoxemia
- abdominal pain
What are the alpha-2 agonists used in horses?
- Xylazine
- Detomidine
- Medetomidine
- Dexmedetomidine
- Romifidine
What are the usages of alpha-2 agonists in horses?
- Pre-medication primarily for SEDATION
- Intra-operatively as a CRI for analgesia
- Post-operatively for sedation to ensure SMOOTH RECOVERIES from inhalation anesthesia
What are the benefits of alpha-2 agonists in horses?
- ANALGESIA
- Sedation
- Anesthetic sparing
What are the potential negative side effects of alpha-2 agonists?
- Bradycardia
- Vasoconstriction and hypertension
- Increased urine output (hyperglycemic diuresis)
- Decreased GI motility
- Ataxia
- *can get excited (need to be sedated: ’nose to knees’)
Xylazine in horses
- Used with KETAMINE and GGE (Guaifenesin) in ‘triple drip’
- Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA)
Detomidine in horses
- Used for sedation and analgesia for standing procedures
- Often combined with an OPIOID
- Administered as an infusion (variable rate infusion (VRI))
Dexmedetomidine in horses
- Used for invasive procedures with INHALATION ANESTHESIA (PIVA)
o Once turn it off=it is gone (still need to SEDATE for recovery period) - *Ex. orthopedic surgery
Ketamine in horses
- Used as in induction agent
- Used in ‘triple drip’ mixture
- *provides analgesia
o Somatic
o NMDA antagonism: good for chronic (‘wind-up’) pain - *risk of excitement: but can be controlled with sedatives
What are some other beneficial effects of ketamine besides analgesia?
- Local anesthetic affects
- Potent anti-inflammatory effects
- Anesthetic sparing (decrease MAC by 37%)
What are the main opioids used in horses?
- Morphine (mu agonist)
- Butorphanol (kappa agonist)
What are opioids primarily used for in horses?
- Intra-operatively
o Not good sedative unless combined with an alpha-2 agonist - Appears to be effective in horses in pain OR undergoing invasive procedures=good analgesia
- DOES NOT REDUCE ISOFLURANE REQUIREMENTS (unlike dogs and cats)