title: Effects of maropitant, acepromazine, and electroacupuncture on vomiting associated with administration of morphine in dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate effects of maropitant, acepromazine, and electroacupuncture on morphine-related signs of nausea and vomiting in dogs and assess sedative effects of the treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  222 dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dogs received 1 of 6 treatments: injection of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution, maropitant citrate, or acepromazine maleate or electroacupuncture treatment at 1 acupoint, 5 acupoints, or a sham acupoint. Morphine was administered after 20 minutes of electroacupuncture treatment or 20 minutes after injectable treatment. Vomiting and retching events and signs of nausea and sedation were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Incidence of vomiting and retching was significantly lower in the maropitant (14/37 [37.8%]) group than in the saline solution (28/37 [75.7%]) and sham-acupoint electroacupuncture (32/37 [86.5%]) groups. The number of vomiting and retching events in the maropitant (21), acepromazine (38), 1-acupoint (35), and 5-acupoint (34) groups was significantly lower than in the saline solution (88) and sham-acupoint electroacupuncture (109) groups. Incidence of signs of nausea was significantly lower in the acepromazine group (3/37 [8.1%]) than in the sham-acupoint group (15/37 [40.5%]). Mean nausea scores for the saline solution, maropitant, and sham-acupoint electroacupuncture groups increased significantly after morphine administration, whereas those for the acepromazine, 1-acupoint electroacupuncture, and 5-acupoint electroacupuncture groups did not. Mean sedation scores after morphine administration were significantly higher in dogs that received acepromazine than in dogs that received saline solution, maropitant, and sham-acupoint electroacupuncture treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maropitant treatment was associated with a lower incidence of vomiting and retching, compared with control treatments, and acepromazine and electroacupuncture appeared to prevent an increase in severity of nausea following morphine administration in dogs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610.
authors.forename: Ronald B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Isaza
authors.forename: Huisheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.forename: Sheilah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D000075:Acepromazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D004285:Dogs; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011812:Quinuclidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000932:Antiemetics; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D011812:Quinuclidines; C518176:maropitant; D000075:Acepromazine; D009020:Morphine