Physiologic and acid-base measures of gopher snakes during ketamine or halothane-nitrous oxide anesthesia.
Arterial acid-base and selected physiologic measures of gopher snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus catenifer) during ketamine or halothane-nitrous oxide anesthesia were compared with base-line values. During ketamine anesthesia, significant decreases in pH and HCO-3 concentrations indicated acid-base states of uncompensated metabolic acidosis. In contrast, halothane-nitrous oxide anesthesia induced acidosis of respiratory origin, through a significant depression in respiratory rate. In addition to the conventional measures, the OH-/H+ ratios and the alpha-imidazole (alpha IM) values were calculated to assess acid-base status during anesthesia. Values for both factors decreased significantly during both ketamine and halothane-nitrous oxide anesthesia. Where H+ concentrations nearly doubled, the decline in the OH-/H+ ratio exceeded 70% and the alpha IM decreased less than 20%. It was concluded that these 2 factors may be helpful in evaluation of the acid-base status of ectothermic animals when normal values for the conventional measures of pH and pCO2 are not available for comparison.
D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000662:veterinary*; D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000097:blood; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D006221:Halothane; D006339:Heart Rate; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007649:Ketamine; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012119:Respiration; D012911:Snakes / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*
D001639:Bicarbonates; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D007649:Ketamine; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D010100:Oxygen; D006221:Halothane