Butorphanol with oxygen insufflation corrects etorphine-induced hypoxaemia in chemically immobilized white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum).

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Opioid-induced immobilization is associated with severe respiratory depression in the white rhinoceros. We evaluated the efficacy of butorphanol and oxygen insufflation in alleviating opioid-induced respiratory depression in eight boma-managed rhinoceros.

RESULTS:

Chemical immobilization with etorphine, azaperone and hyaluronidase, as per standard procedure for the white rhinoceros, caused severe respiratory depression with hypoxaemia (PaO2 = 27 ± 7 mmHg [mean ± SD]), hypercapnia (PaCO2 = 82 ± 6 mmHg) and acidosis (pH =7.26 ± 0.02) in the control trial at 5 min. Compared to pre-intervention values, butorphanol administration (without oxygen) improved the PaO2 (60 ± 3 mmHg, F (3,21) =151.9, p < 0.001), PaCO2 (67 ± 4 mmHg, F (3,21) =22.57, p < 0.001) and pH (7.31 ± 0.06, F (3,21) = 27.60, p < 0.001), while oxygen insufflation alone exacerbated the hypercapnia (123 ± 20 mmHg, F (3,21) = 50.13, p < 0.001) and acidosis (7.12 ± 0.07, F (3,21) = 110.6, p < 0.001). Surprisingly, butorphanol combined with oxygen fully corrected the opioid-induced hypoxaemia (PaO2 = 155 ± 53 mmHg) and reduced the hypercapnia over the whole immobilization period (p <0.05, areas under the curves) compared to the control trial. However, this intervention (butorphanol + oxygen) did not have any effect on the arterial pH.

CONCLUSIONS:

Oxygen insufflation combined with a single intravenous dose of butorphanol improved the immobilization quality of boma-managed white rhinoceros by correcting the opioid-induced hypoxaemia, but did not completely reverse all components of respiratory depression. The efficacy of this intervention in reducing respiratory depression in field-captured animals remains to be determined.

• Authors: Anna Haw, Markus Hofmeyr, Andrea Fuller, Peter Buss, Michele Miller, Gregory Fleming, Leith Meyer
• Journal: BMC veterinary research (BMC Vet Res) Vol. 10 Pg. 253 (Oct 15 2014) ISSN: 1746-6148 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25315767 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Carbon Dioxide
• Azaperone
• Etorphine
• Hyaluronoglucosaminidase
• Butorphanol
• Oxygen

Topics

• Animals
• Azaperone (administration & dosage, pharmacology)
• Butorphanol (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Carbon Dioxide (blood)
• Etorphine (administration & dosage, adverse effects, pharmacology)
• Hyaluronoglucosaminidase (administration & dosage, pharmacology)
• Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
• Hypoxia (chemically induced, drug therapy, veterinary)
• Immobilization (veterinary)
• Male
• Oxygen (administration & dosage, blood, pharmacology)
• Partial Pressure
• Perissodactyla