Effect of administration of propofol and xylazine hydrochloride on recovery of horses after four hours of anesthesia with desflurane.
OBJECTIVE
To compare characteristics of horses recovering from 4 hours of desflurane anesthesia with and without immediate postanesthetic IV administration of propofol and xylazine. Animals-8 healthy horses (mean +/- SEM age, 6.6 +/- 1.0 years; mean body weight, 551 +/- 50 kg).


METHODS
Horses were anesthetized twice. Both times, anesthesia was induced with a combination of xylazine hydrochloride, diazepam, and ketamine hydrochloride and then maintained for 4 hours with desflurane in oxygen. Choice of postanesthetic treatment was randomly assigned via a crossover design such that each horse received an IV injection of propofol and xylazine or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution after the anesthetic episode. Recovery events were quantitatively and qualitatively assessed. Venous blood samples were obtained before and after anesthesia for determination of serum creatine kinase activity and plasma propofol concentration.


RESULTS
Anesthetic induction and maintenance were unremarkable in all horses. Compared with administration of saline solution, postanesthetic administration of propofol and xylazine resulted in an increased interval to emergence from anesthesia but improved quality of recovery-related transition to standing. Compared with administration of saline solution, administration of propofol also delayed the rate of decrease of end-tidal concentrations of desflurane and carbon dioxide and added to conditions promoting hypoxemia and hypoventilation.


CONCLUSIONS
Propofol and xylazine administered IV to horses after 4 hours of desflurane anesthesia improved the quality of transition from lateral recumbency to standing but added potential for harmful respiratory depression during the postanesthetic period.
Steffey
Eugene P
EP
Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and KL Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Mama
Khursheed R
KR
Brosnan
Robert J
RJ
Imai
Ayako
A
Maxwell
Lara K
LK
Cole
Cynthia A
CA
Stanley
Scott D
SD
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D000077335:Desflurane; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000662:veterinary; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D015742:Propofol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014991:Xylazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D014991:Xylazine; D000077335:Desflurane; D007530:Isoflurane; D015742:Propofol