Methadone or Butorphanol as Pre-Anaesthetic Agents Combined with Romifidine in Horses Undergoing Elective Surgery: Qualitative Assessment of Sedation and Induction

While butorphanol is the most commonly used opioid in horses, methadone is not licensed in most countries. Our aim was to compare the effects of both drugs, combined with romifidine, regarding the quality of sedation and induction in horses undergoing elective surgery. Results indicate the suitabili...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sara Nannarone, Giacomo Giannettoni, Chiara Laurenza, Andrea Giontella, Giulia Moretti
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
Series:Animals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2572
id doaj-7a94139ace224a4da8eb93bc831fd498
record_format Article
spelling doaj-7a94139ace224a4da8eb93bc831fd4982021-09-25T23:35:47ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152021-08-01112572257210.3390/ani11092572Methadone or Butorphanol as Pre-Anaesthetic Agents Combined with Romifidine in Horses Undergoing Elective Surgery: Qualitative Assessment of Sedation and InductionSara Nannarone0Giacomo Giannettoni1Chiara Laurenza2Andrea Giontella3Giulia Moretti4Department of Veterinary Medicine, Perugia University, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, ItalyADVETIA Centre Hospitalier Vétérinaire, Vélizy-Villacoublay, Île-de-France, 78140 Paris, FranceSection of Anesthésiologie, Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Marcy l’Etoile, 69280 Lyon, FranceDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, Perugia University, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, Perugia University, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, ItalyWhile butorphanol is the most commonly used opioid in horses, methadone is not licensed in most countries. Our aim was to compare the effects of both drugs, combined with romifidine, regarding the quality of sedation and induction in horses undergoing elective surgery. Results indicate the suitability of both methadone and butorphanol in this patient population. Animals were scored 10 min after intravenous injection of sedatives. Despite lower overall sedation (OS) score in horses receiving methadone (<i>p</i> = 0.002), the quality and time of induction and intubation remained unchanged. None of the horses had the lowest OS score (no sedation), nor the highest score for ataxia (horse falling). Methadone induced a tendency for minor noise reaction yet minor head lowering scores, the latter being probably the most influencing parameter when scoring OS. Measured physiological parameters decreased in both groups, with greater bradycardia recorded after methadone (<i>p</i> = 0.017), including a higher incidence of atrioventricular blocks that resolved during general anaesthesia. The quality of induction was good–excellent in most of the animals. While comparisons between the degree of antinociception were beyond the scope of this study, analgesic potency might influence the choice when considering opioids as pre-anaesthetic drugs in combination with romifidine before surgery in equines.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2572butorphanolhorseinduction qualitymethadonepre-anaesthesiaromifidine
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Sara Nannarone
Giacomo Giannettoni
Chiara Laurenza
Andrea Giontella
Giulia Moretti
spellingShingle Sara Nannarone
Giacomo Giannettoni
Chiara Laurenza
Andrea Giontella
Giulia Moretti
Methadone or Butorphanol as Pre-Anaesthetic Agents Combined with Romifidine in Horses Undergoing Elective Surgery: Qualitative Assessment of Sedation and Induction
Animals
butorphanol
horse
induction quality
methadone
pre-anaesthesia
romifidine
author_facet Sara Nannarone
Giacomo Giannettoni
Chiara Laurenza
Andrea Giontella
Giulia Moretti
author_sort Sara Nannarone
title Methadone or Butorphanol as Pre-Anaesthetic Agents Combined with Romifidine in Horses Undergoing Elective Surgery: Qualitative Assessment of Sedation and Induction
title_short Methadone or Butorphanol as Pre-Anaesthetic Agents Combined with Romifidine in Horses Undergoing Elective Surgery: Qualitative Assessment of Sedation and Induction
title_full Methadone or Butorphanol as Pre-Anaesthetic Agents Combined with Romifidine in Horses Undergoing Elective Surgery: Qualitative Assessment of Sedation and Induction
title_fullStr Methadone or Butorphanol as Pre-Anaesthetic Agents Combined with Romifidine in Horses Undergoing Elective Surgery: Qualitative Assessment of Sedation and Induction
title_full_unstemmed Methadone or Butorphanol as Pre-Anaesthetic Agents Combined with Romifidine in Horses Undergoing Elective Surgery: Qualitative Assessment of Sedation and Induction
title_sort methadone or butorphanol as pre-anaesthetic agents combined with romifidine in horses undergoing elective surgery: qualitative assessment of sedation and induction
publisher MDPI AG
series Animals
issn 2076-2615
publishDate 2021-08-01
description While butorphanol is the most commonly used opioid in horses, methadone is not licensed in most countries. Our aim was to compare the effects of both drugs, combined with romifidine, regarding the quality of sedation and induction in horses undergoing elective surgery. Results indicate the suitability of both methadone and butorphanol in this patient population. Animals were scored 10 min after intravenous injection of sedatives. Despite lower overall sedation (OS) score in horses receiving methadone (<i>p</i> = 0.002), the quality and time of induction and intubation remained unchanged. None of the horses had the lowest OS score (no sedation), nor the highest score for ataxia (horse falling). Methadone induced a tendency for minor noise reaction yet minor head lowering scores, the latter being probably the most influencing parameter when scoring OS. Measured physiological parameters decreased in both groups, with greater bradycardia recorded after methadone (<i>p</i> = 0.017), including a higher incidence of atrioventricular blocks that resolved during general anaesthesia. The quality of induction was good–excellent in most of the animals. While comparisons between the degree of antinociception were beyond the scope of this study, analgesic potency might influence the choice when considering opioids as pre-anaesthetic drugs in combination with romifidine before surgery in equines.
topic butorphanol
horse
induction quality
methadone
pre-anaesthesia
romifidine
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2572
work_keys_str_mv AT saranannarone methadoneorbutorphanolaspreanaestheticagentscombinedwithromifidineinhorsesundergoingelectivesurgeryqualitativeassessmentofsedationandinduction
AT giacomogiannettoni methadoneorbutorphanolaspreanaestheticagentscombinedwithromifidineinhorsesundergoingelectivesurgeryqualitativeassessmentofsedationandinduction
AT chiaralaurenza methadoneorbutorphanolaspreanaestheticagentscombinedwithromifidineinhorsesundergoingelectivesurgeryqualitativeassessmentofsedationandinduction
AT andreagiontella methadoneorbutorphanolaspreanaestheticagentscombinedwithromifidineinhorsesundergoingelectivesurgeryqualitativeassessmentofsedationandinduction
AT giuliamoretti methadoneorbutorphanolaspreanaestheticagentscombinedwithromifidineinhorsesundergoingelectivesurgeryqualitativeassessmentofsedationandinduction
_version_ 1714251861495644160