Treatment of hypoxemia during xylazine-tiletamine-zolazepam immobilization of wapiti.
Hypoxemia is a commonly observed complication during the chemical immobilization of wild ruminants. If severe and left untreated, it can predispose animals to arrhythmias, organ failure, and capture myopathy. The following prospective study was designed to measure the degree of hypoxemia in wapiti that were immobilized with a combination of xylazine and tiletamine-zolazepam and to assess the response to nasal oxygen therapy. Pulse oximetry and arterial blood gas analysis were used to assess the degree of hypoxemia prior to nasal insufflation of oxygen and to demonstrate any beneficial effects of this intervention. All wapiti exhibited mild to marked hypoxemia (PaO2 = 43 +/- 11.8 mmHg) prior to treatment and showed marked improvement after 5 minutes of nasal insufflation of oxygen at 10 L/min (PaO2 = 207 +/- 60 mmHg). This inexpensive, noninvasive technique has great benefit in treating clinical hypoxemia under field conditions, and we recommend that nasal insufflation of oxygen be implemented during xylazine-tiletamine-zolazepam-induced immobilization of wapiti and other wild ruminants.
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Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4.
Caulkett
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NA
Symington
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A
Shury
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TK
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D003670:Deer; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D007103:Immobilization / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D013992:Tiletamine / Q000009:adverse effects; D014991:Xylazine / Q000009:adverse effects; D015041:Zolazepam / Q000009:adverse effects
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D014991:Xylazine; D013992:Tiletamine; D015041:Zolazepam; D010100:Oxygen