Abstract
Objective
To evaluate latency and duration of a brachial plexus block technique in eastern box
turtles performed with 2% lidocaine at three dose rates.
Study design
Prospective, randomized, blinded crossover study.
Animals
Adult eastern box turtles, two for drug dose evaluation and a group of six (three
male, three female) weighing 432 ± 40 g (mean ± standard deviation) for the main study.
Methods
Animals were randomly assigned to four brachial plexus blocks with lidocaine at 5,
10 and 20 mg kg–1 or 0.9% saline (treatments LID5, LID10, LID20 and CON, respectively), separated by
1 week. Treatment side was randomized and blocks were performed unilaterally. Baseline
observations of mentation, heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (fR), skin temperature and limb response to manipulation or toe pinch were evaluated.
Assessments were made every 10 minutes until 1 hour of normal sensory and motor function
to the treated thoracic limb, or for a total of 2 hours if no block was evident.
Results
Motor and sensory blockade was achieved in treatments LID10 and LID20 in one turtle,
with a latency of 10 minutes and duration of 50 minutes for both doses. Raising of
the ipsilateral lower palpebra occurred with both blocks. Turtles administered lidocaine
experienced higher HR compared with CON, and HR decreased over time for all individuals.
Mentation and fR were not changed with any lidocaine dose.
Conclusions
The technique was unreliable in producing brachial plexus motor and sensory blockade
at the lidocaine doses evaluated in this study. HR was higher in lidocaine-administered
turtles but remained within normal limits for the species. No change in mentation
or fR was observed among treatments.
Clinical relevance
General anesthesia with systemic analgesia is recommended for surgical procedures
involving the chelonian thoracic limb. Further studies are needed to optimize a brachial
plexus block in this species.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 12, 2022
Accepted:
November 8,
2022
Received in revised form:
November 7,
2022
Received:
July 29,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
