Abstract
Objective
To evaluate thermal antinociception from intravenous (IV) administration of hydromorphone
alone or followed by butorphanol or naloxone in cats.
Study design
Randomized, controlled, masked, crossover design.
Animals
A group of eight adult female cats.
Methods
Cats were administered six treatments of two IV injections 30 minutes apart: treatments
S–S, two 0.9% saline; H–S, hydromorphone (0.1 mg kg−1) and saline; H–LB, hydromorphone and butorphanol (0.02 mg kg−1); H–MB, hydromorphone and butorphanol (0.1 mg kg−1); H–HB, hydromorphone and butorphanol (0.2 mg kg−1); H–N, hydromorphone and naloxone (0.04 mg kg−1). Skin temperature (ST), thermal threshold (TT) and sedation score (SS) were recorded
before (baseline) and for 8 hours after the first injection. Percentage maximum possible
effect (%MPE), thermal excursion (TE), TT, SS and ST were compared using two-way repeated
measures anova or Friedman test followed by Tukey’s or Dunn’s multiple comparisons test when appropriate.
Significance was set at p ≤ 0.05.
Results
Data from seven cats were analyzed. There were no significant differences among treatments
in baseline values, SS and within S–S over time. Compared with respective 0.5 hour
values following hydromorphone administration, %MPE was significantly lower at 4–8
hours for H–S; at 3–8 hours for H–LB; at 4–8 hours for H–MB; at 6–8 hours for H–HB
and at 1–8 hours for H–N. Compared with respective 0.5 hour values, TE was significantly
lower at 4–8 hours for H–S; at 3–8 hours for H–LB; at 2 and 4–8 hours for H–MB; at
6 and 8 hours for H–HB and at 1–8 hours for H–N.
Conclusions and clinical relevance
Butorphanol and naloxone reduced hydromorphone-induced thermal antinociception. Butorphanol
preserved hydromorphone antinociceptive properties better than naloxone. Butorphanol
is recommended during non-life-threatening scenarios as a partial reversal agent for
hydromorphone in cats.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 29, 2019
Accepted:
April 19,
2019
Received:
November 7,
2018
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
