Il tramadolo per via epidurale nel cane
Authors
Vullo C., Amatucci M., Dini F., Palumbo Piccionello A., Tambella A. M., Scrollavezza P.
Scuola di Scienze Mediche Veterinarie
Università degli Studi di Camerino
Summary
Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic with μ-opioid, monoaminergic, and local anaesthetic effects. In view of the involvement of the opioid and monoaminergic systems in pain pathways, the study was conducted to evaluate tramadol as an epidural analgesic in dogs. Ten healthy adult dogs were randomly divided into two groups of five animals each. Group T (tramadol group) were premedicated with acepromazine (0,03 mg/kg, IM), induced with propofol (2,0 mg/kg, IV), and maintained under anaesthesia with isoflurane in oxygen. Twenty minutes after starting propofol anaesthesia it received tramadol (2,0 mg/kg) epidurally at the lumbosacral space. Group C (control group) was similarly premedicated and induced, but it received saline solution epirurally.
Surgery began 15 minutes later. Temperature, MAC isoflurane, expired isoflurane concentration, expired CO2 concentration, pulse oximetry, inspired oxygen concentration, pulse and respiratory rates, systolic, mean and diastolic arterial blood pressure were measured at fixed intervals after anaesthesia induction. Glucose concentrations were measured before premedication, during the surgery and 30 minutes thereafter. Postoperative analgesia was evaluated for 2 hours using a scoring system. Statistically significant increase in pulse and respiratory rates, MAC isoflurane and expired isoflurane concentration was observed in the control Group during the first 30 minutes. The remaining variables were not significantly different between two groups. Intraoperative antinociception was considered adequate, with satisfactory postoperative analgesia for 2 hours. In conclusion, epidural tramadol seem to produce satisfactory antinociception and analgesia without causing clinically significant hemodynamic and respiratory depression in healthy dogs undergoing stifle surgery (TPLO), orchiectomy and ovariohysterectomy.
Keywords
tramadol, epidural, analgesia, pain, dog
