title: Etorphine-halothane anaesthesia in two five-year-old African elephants (Loxodonta africana).
abstract: Anaesthesia of 2 five-year-old female African elephants (Loxodonta africana) was required for dental surgery. The animals were each premedicated with 120 mg of azaperone 60 min before transportation to the hospital. Before offloading, 1 mg etorphine was administered intramuscularly (i.m.) to each elephant to facilitate walking them to the equine induction/recovery room. For induction, 2 mg etorphine was administered i.m. to each animal. Induction was complete within 6 min. Surgical anaesthesia was induced with halothane-in-oxygen after intubation of the trunk. During surgery the mean heart rate was 61 and 45 beats/min respectively. Systolic blood pressures increased to 27.5 and 25.6 kPa respectively, and were treated with intravenous azaperone. Blood pressure decreased thereafter to a mean systolic pressure of 18.1 and 19.8 kPa, respectively. Rectal temperature was 35.6 and 33.9 degrees C at the onset of surgery, and decreased to 35.3 and 33.5 degrees C, respectively, at the end of anaesthesia. Etorphine anaesthesia was reversed with 5 mg diprenorphine at the completion of 90 min of surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Companion Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Stegmann
mesh_terms: D000698:Analgesia / Q000662:veterinary*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation / Q000662:veterinary*; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D004606:Elephants; D005048:Etorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006221:Halothane / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007103:Immobilization
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D005048:Etorphine; D006221:Halothane