Six male mixed-bred horses (5-12 years, 350 ± 18 kg) were included. All horses were anesthetized for 2.5 hours using halothane, and a month later abdominal surgery was performed using the same anesthetic technique with a similar duration.
The schedule of anesthesia included pre-medication with diazepam (0.1 mg kg1 IM), followed by xylazine (2.2 mg kg1 IV), and 10 minutes later anesthesia was induced with ketamine hydrochloride (2.2 mg kg1 IV). After orotracheal intubation, anesthesia was maintained with halothane.
Blood samples for the determination of thromboxane B2 (TXB2) were obtained before, at induction, at 60 minutes after halothane was first inspired, and at recovery from anesthesia as well as at the corresponding stages of the experimental abdominal surgery (before induction, prior to laparotomy, enterectomy, enteroanastomosis, abdominal wall closure).
Results: Baseline value for the anesthesia group was 76 ± 12 pg mL1 and increased (p < 0.001) after 1 hour of anesthesia to 265 ± 40 pg mL1. With surgery, the corresponding value was 285 ± 21 pg mL1 (hour 1, p < 0.001) and 210 ± 28 pg mL1 (hour 2, p < 0.001), respectively. These were not different from anesthesia alone.
The increased concentrations of thromboxane B2 between 1 and 2.5 hours of halothane anesthesia and during the corresponding stages of the surgical intervention suggested that the anesthetic technique caused a significant increase in thromboxane B2 and that surgery did not appear to contribute to this response.
Source: Dinev, Dinko & Andonova, Maria (2004): The effect of general anesthesia and abdominal surgery upon plasma thromboxane B2 concentrations in horses. In: Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia 31 (2), 146-149.
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