title: Development of a protocol to provide prolonged general anesthesia to pregnant sows.
abstract: This study was designed to determine whether a pregnant sow could be maintained under conditions of prolonged general anesthesia in order to provide access to prematurely delivered piglets for purposes of acute experimentation. Fifteen time-dated pregnant (90% of gestation) sows were preanesthetized with intramuscular xylazine (Rompun Mobay Pharmaceutical, Shawnee, KS)/ketamine (Aveco Pharmaceutical, Fort Dodge, IA). After anesthesia was induced with intravenous sodium thiopental, the animals underwent tracheotomy and mechanical ventilation. The electrocardiogram was monitored externally; systemic arterial pressure was supervised by the insertion of a brachial artery cannula; and urine output was determined by inserting a cystostomy tube. A surgical plane of anesthesia was achieved by the "balanced" technique: an inhalant, isoflurane, supplemented by intravenous doses of sufentanil citrate, propofol (Stuart Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington, DE), and vecuronium. Sows were maintained under general anesthesia for an average of 12 h; piglets were delivered, one or two at a time, by a modified cesarean section technique. No sows or piglets were lost to anesthetic complications. It is concluded that, with appropriate precautions, pregnant sows can be anesthetized for a prolonged period of time, and provide viable premature neonates for acute experimentation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of South Alabama Mobile.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Dyess
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tacchi
authors.forename: R Q
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ardell
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ferrara
mesh_terms: D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000379:methods; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D002585:Cesarean Section; D005260:Female; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008954:Models, Biological; D011247:Pregnancy; D015742:Propofol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017409:Sufentanil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013552:Swine; D014673:Vecuronium Bromide / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014673:Vecuronium Bromide; D017409:Sufentanil; D007530:Isoflurane; D015742:Propofol