title: Comparison of azaperone-detomidine-butorphanol-ketamine and azaperone-tiletamine-zolazepam for anaesthesia in piglets.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate a combination of azaperone, detomidine, butorphanol and ketamine (DBK) in pigs and to compare it with the combination of azaperone, tiletamine and zolazepam (TZ).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, randomized, blinded, cross-over study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve clinically healthy crossbred pigs aged about 2 months and weighing 16-25 kg.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pigs were pre-medicated with azaperone (4 mg kg(-1)). Ten minutes later anaesthesia was induced with intramuscular DBK (detomidine 0.08 mg kg(-1), butorphanol 0.2 mg kg(-1), ketamine 10 mg kg(-1)) or TZ (tiletamine and zolazepam 5 mg kg(-1)). The pigs were positioned in dorsal recumbency. Heart and respiratory rates, posture, anaesthesia score, PaO(2), PaCO(2), pH and bicarbonate concentration were measured. t-test was used to compare the areas under time-anaesthesia index curve (AUC(anindex)) between treatments. Data concerning heart and respiratory rates, PaO(2), PaCO(2) and anaesthesia score were analysed with anova for repeated measurements. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for the data concerning the duration of sedation and anaesthesia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sedation, analgesia and anaesthesia lasted longer after DBK than TZ. The AUC(anscore) were 863 +/- 423 and 452 +/- 274 for DBK and TZ, respectively (p = 0.002). The duration of surgical anaesthesia lasted a median of 35 minutes (0-105 minutes) after DBK and a median of 15 minutes (0-35 minutes) after TZ (p = 0.05). Four pigs after DBK and six after TZ did not achieve the plane of surgical anaesthesia. The heart rate was lower after DBK than after TZ. Both treatments had similar effects on the other parameters measured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At the doses used DBK was more effective than TZ for anaesthesia in pigs under field conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combinations can be used for sedation and minor field surgery in pigs. The doses and drugs chosen were insufficient to produce a reliable surgical plane of anaesthesia in these young pigs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland. mari.heinonen@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Mari L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.forename: Marja R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Raekallio
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliviero
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahokas
authors.forename: Olli A T
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Peltoniemi
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000662:veterinary*; D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D000818:Animals; D001376:Azaperone; D002077:Butorphanol; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007093:Imidazoles; D007649:Ketamine; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*; D013992:Tiletamine; D015041:Zolazepam
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007093:Imidazoles; D001376:Azaperone; D013992:Tiletamine; D007649:Ketamine; C041255:detomidine; D015041:Zolazepam; D002077:Butorphanol