This study was performed to compare the effect of intratesticular (IT) injection of xylazine/ketamine combination for canine castration with those of intramuscular (IM) or intravenous (IV) injection. Xylazine and ketamine was administered simultaneously via intratesticularly (IT group), intramuscularly (IM group) or intravenously (IV group) at doses of 2 and 10 mg/kg, respectively. Pain response at the time of injection, mean induction time, mean arousal time, mean walking time and cardiopulmonary function during anesthesia were monitored after the xylazine and ketamine administration. In IV and IM groups, heart rates were significantly decreased 30 and 45 min after xylazine and ketamine administration, respectively (p < 0.05). Respiratory rates were significantly decreased in the IV group (p < 0.05). In the IT group, there was no significant changes in heart and respiratory rates. The occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias was less severe in IT group compared with those in IM and IV groups. The route of administration did not affect rectal temperature. Mean induction time was significantly (p < 0.05) longer in IT group than in IM and IV groups. On the contrary, mean arousal time and mean walking time were shortened in IT group. Clinical signs related to pain response at the time of injection and vomiting were less observed in IT group than in IM group, and head shaking was less shown in IT group than in IM and IV groups during recovery period. These results indicated that intratesticular injection of xylazine/ketamine for castration has several advantages such as less inhibition of cardiopulmonary function and fast recovery from anesthesia without severe complications, and would be an effective anesthetic method for castration in small animal practice.
Anesthesia, Intravenous/veterinary ; Anesthetics, Combined/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Anesthetics, Dissociative/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Animals ; Body Temperature/drug effects ; Castration/*veterinary ; Dogs ; Drug Administration Routes/veterinary ; Electrocardiography/drug effects/veterinary ; Heart Rate/drug effects ; Injections/veterinary ; Injections, Intramuscular/veterinary ; Ketamine/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Pain, Postoperative/prevention&control/veterinary ; Pulmonary Ventilation/drug effects ; Testis/*drug effects ; Vomiting/chemically induced/veterinary ; Xylazine/adverse effects/*therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo investigate the sedative effect of acupuncture on patients during mechanical ventilation after valve replacement.

METHODSSixty patients during mechanical ventilation after valve replacement were randomly assigned to three groups. Intravenous injection of propofol (Pro I) was given to patients in group I; to patients in group II, Pro I was given also and acupuncture at Shenting (DU24) and Yintang (EX-HN3) with needle retention was applied simultaneously, and to those in group III, the same treatment as that for group II was applied but with electroacupuncture instead of simple acupuncture. The speed of Pro I was controlled through micro-pump to maintain the bispectral index (BIS) within 70 - 80. The dose of propofol used, the Ramsay score and adverse reaction, and so on in the three groups were observed and compared.

RESULTSPro I dose used was insignificantly different between group I and group II (P > 0.05), but in group III it was more reduced than that in the other two groups (P < 0.05). No significant difference in BIS, Ramsay score, adverse reaction, etc. was found among the three groups. BIS measurements showed negative correlation with Ramsay scores (r = -0.85, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONElectro acupuncture at Shenting and Yintang has a certain sedative effect on patients during mechanical ventilation after valve replacement.

Adult ; Anesthetics, Intravenous ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Anxiety ; etiology ; therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; methods ; Female ; Heart Valve Diseases ; surgery ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; etiology ; therapy ; Propofol ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Respiration, Artificial ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome