SUMMARY
A controlled study of the cardiovascular responses in horses anesthetized with acepromazine (0.05 mg/kg of body weight, iv), guaifenesin (100 mg/kg, iv), thiamylal (5.0 mg/kg, iv), and halothane in O2 (1.2 to 1.4% end-expired concentration) was performed to determine whether hypotension could be prevented by use of various treatments. Six horses were given 5 treatments in a randomized sequence; no treatment (control), methoxamine (0.04 mg/kg, iv), lactated Ringer solution (20.0 ml/kg, iv), 7.5% hypertonic saline solution (4.0 ml/kg, iv), or constant infusion of dobutamine (5.0 mg/kg/min, iv) during anesthesia. Heart rate, ECG, blood pressure, central venous pressure, cardiac output, blood gas analysis, pcv, and plasma total protein concentration were measured during the study.
Compared with the control value, an increase in blood pressure during halothane administration was observed after administration of lactated Ringer solution, hypertonic saline solution, or dobutamine (P < 0.05). The improved blood pressure response to hypertonic saline solution and dobutamine was related to an increase in cardiac output, which was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Other statistically significant differences in cardiopulmonary responses among treatments were not observed during anesthesia. The pcv was increased in response to dobutamine infusion, and plasma total protein concentration was reduced in response to administration of hypertonic saline or lactated Ringer solution.
