Caudal epidural anti-nociception using lidocaine, bupivacaine or their combination in cows undergoing reproductive procedures

• Published in: Veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia Vol. 40; no. 3; pp. 328 - 332
• Main Authors: Vesal, Nasser, Ahmadi, Mohammadrahim, Foroud, Mehrzad, Imani, Hadi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2013; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Analgesia, Epidural - veterinary; Anesthetics, Local - administration & dosage; Anesthetics, Local - pharmacology; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; anti-nociception; bupivacaine; Bupivacaine - administration & dosage; Bupivacaine - pharmacology; Cattle - physiology; Cattle Diseases - chemically induced; caudal epidural; cow; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Hypersensitivity, Immediate - chemically induced; Hypersensitivity, Immediate - veterinary; lidocaine; Lidocaine - administration & dosage; Lidocaine - pharmacology; Oxytetracycline - administration & dosage; Oxytetracycline - pharmacology; cow; bupivacaine; anti-nociception; caudal epidural; lidocaine
• ISSN: 1467-2987; 1467-2995
• DOI: 10.1111/vaa.12000

To evaluate the anti-nociceptive effects of lidocaine, lidocaine-bupivacaine combination or bupivacaine following caudal epidural administration in cows undergoing reproductive procedures. Blinded, randomized experimental study. Thirty seven healthy Holstein cows (mean weight ± SD, 633 ± 41 kg). Animals were allocated randomly to receive one of four treatments: group LID, 0.2 mg kg−1 lidocaine 2%; group LID-BUP, lidocaine-bupivacaine mixture in a 1:1 volume ratio (0.1 mg kg−1 and 0.025 mg kg−1, respectively); group BUP-LD, 0.05 mg kg−1 bupivacaine 0.5%; and group BUP-HD, 0.06 mg kg−1 bupivacaine 0.5%. The onset and duration of perineal anti-nociception were determined using superficial and deep pin pricks and the number of cows with complete perineal anti-nociception was recorded. Parameters were compared using anova followed by Duncan's test where relevant. Mean ± SD time to onset of anti-nociception following epidural administration of BUP-LD was significantly longer than for LID-BUP (p < 0.05). The duration (in minutes) of perineal anti-nociception was significantly longer following epidural administration of BUP-HD (247 ± 31) versus LID-BUP (181 ± 33) and LID (127 ± 25) minutes respectively. The % of cows with complete anti-nociception was increased in the group treated with BUP-HD compared to BUP-LD. Severe ataxia or recumbency did not occur in any groups. Epidurally administered bupivacaine, at a dose of 0.06 mg kg−1, may provide satisfactory caudal epidural anti-nociception for longer-duration obstetric and surgical procedures.