Mortality associated with using medetomidine and ketamine for general anesthesia in pregnant and nonpregnant Wistar rats

Mortality associated with using medetomidine and ketamine for general anesthesia in pregnant and nonpregnant Wistar rats

Medetomidine and ketamine are injectable drugs that can be used in combination to induce general anesthesia in rats. After noticing a high incidence of morbidity and mortality in pregnant Wistar rats given medetomidine and ketamine for anesthesia, the authors further investigated the effects of this...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Lab animal Vol. 43; no. 6; pp. 208 - 214
Main Authors: Callahan, Lauren M., Ross, Simone M., Jones, Megan L., Musk, Gabrielle C.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01-06-2014
Nature Publishing Group
Subjects:
Anesthesia, General - adverse effects
Anesthesia, General - methods
Animal experimentation
Animal Models
Animals
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Body Temperature
Causes of
Complications and side effects
Dosage and administration
Drug Combinations
Female
General anesthesia
Health aspects
Heart Rate
Ketamine
Ketamine - adverse effects
Ketamine - pharmacology
Life Sciences
Medetomidine - adverse effects
Medetomidine - pharmacology
Mortality
Oxygen - blood
Pregnancy
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Regression Analysis
research-note
Respiratory Rate
Statistics, Nonparametric
Time Factors
Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science
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Summary:Medetomidine and ketamine are injectable drugs that can be used in combination to induce general anesthesia in rats. After noticing a high incidence of morbidity and mortality in pregnant Wistar rats given medetomidine and ketamine for anesthesia, the authors further investigated the effects of this combination of anesthetic drugs in both pregnant and nonpregnant Wistar rats. The time to recumbency and the duration of general anesthesia were similar between pregnant and nonpregnant rats. Pregnancy status did not affect the rats' pulse rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, oxygen saturation or perfusion index during 2 h of anesthesia. Pregnant rats had significantly lower blood glucose concentrations than nonpregnant rats at all time points, though blood glucose concentrations increased in both groups. The mortality rate was ∼15% both for nonpregnant rats and for pregnant rats. Researchers using medetomidine and ketamine to anesthetize Wistar rats should carefully monitor the rats in order to minimize mortality.
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ISSN:0093-7355
1548-4475
DOI:10.1038/laban.517