Partial intravenous anaesthesia in the horse: a review of intravenous agents used to supplement equine inhalation anaesthesia. Part 2: opioids and alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonists

Equine anaesthesia-associated mortality: where are we now?

“…The current vogue for ‘partial/supplemental IV anaesthesia’, which is intended to provide balanced anaesthesia and analgesia with better preservation of cardiopulmonary function and a less marked stress response, by using injectable agents to reduce the required dose of inhalation agents, also reflects efforts to improve the quality of recovery (Auckburally & Flaherty ; Gozalo‐Marcilla et al. , ). It remains to be seen, however, whether this approach will reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with equine anaesthesia and surgery.…”

Continuous caudal epidural analgesia for perioperative pain control after bilateral mastectomy in a mare

“…Although certain controversy has been reported after the intravenous use of morphine in horses (Combie and others 1979, Steffey and others 2003), more recent studies showed that morphine administered intravenously either as a bolus at 0.1–0.2 mg/kg (as in the present case report) or as a CRI (0.1 mg/kg/h) provided analgesia and improved the quality of the recoveries in horses anaesthetised with halothane (Love and others 2006, Clark and others 2008). In the present case, a CRI of romifidine was also administered during anaesthesia, given the previously described beneficial properties regarding sedation, analgesia, volatile agent-sparing effect and improvement of the recovery quality (Gozalo-Marcilla and others 2015). …”

Is there a place for dexmedetomidine in equine anaesthesia and analgesia? A systematic review (2005–2017)

“…When used during general anaesthesia as a CRI, as part of PIVA protocols, dexmedetomidine fulfils the principles of equine “balanced anaesthesia,” which include mainly three requirements: (i) an adequate intraoperative cardiopulmonary function, (ii) reduction in the inhalant agent requirements and (iii) smooth and coordinated recoveries (Bettschart‐Wolfensberger & Larenza, ; Gozalo‐Marcilla, Gasthuys, & Schauvliege, , ).…”