Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Nerve blocks reduce pain after cat dental extractions
By Aguiar, Joana et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2015·Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Analgesic effects of maxillary and inferior alveolar nerve blocks in cats undergoing dental extractions.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Twenty-nine cats undergoing dental extractions were given either nerve blocks or no nerve blocks to see how it affected their pain levels afterward. The cats that received nerve blocks with lidocaine and bupivacaine had significantly lower pain scores after the procedure compared to those that did not. Additionally, the nerve blocks helped reduce heart rate and blood pressure during the surgery, allowing for less anesthesia to be used. Overall, the cats that received the nerve blocks seemed to recover more comfortably after their dental work.
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the analgesic effects of maxillary and/or inferior alveolar nerve blocks with lidocaine and bupivacaine in cats undergoing dental extractions. Twenty-nine cats were enrolled. Using an adapted composite pain scale, cats were pain scored before the dental procedure and 30 mins, and 1, 2 and 4 h after isoflurane disconnection. Cats were sedated with buprenorphine (20 µg/kg), medetomidine (10 µg/kg) and acepromazine (20 µg/kg) intramuscularly. Anaesthesia was induced using alfaxalone (1-2 mg/kg) intravenously and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen. Each cat was randomly assigned to receive maxillary and/or inferior alveolar nerve blocks or no nerve blocks prior to dental extractions. Each nerve block was performed using lidocaine (0.25 mg/kg) and bupivacaine (0.25 mg/kg). Heart rate, systolic arterial blood pressure, respiratory rate, end tidal carbon dioxide and isoflurane vaporiser settings were recorded 5 mins before and after the dental extractions, and the difference calculated. Group mean differences (mean ± SD) for heart rate (-9.7 ± 10.6 vs 7.6 ± 9.5 beats/min [nerve block vs control group, respectively], P <0.0001), systolic arterial blood pressure (-10.33 ± 18.44 vs 5.21 ± 15.23 mmHg, P = 0.02) and vaporiser settings (-0.2 ± 0.2 vs 0.1 ± 0.4, P = 0.023) were significantly different between groups. The control group had higher postoperative pain scores (median [interquartile range]) at 2 h (3 [1.75-4.00] vs 1 [0-2], P = 0.008) and 4 h (4 [2-6] vs 2 [1-2], P = 0.006) after the dental extractions. Maxillary and inferior alveolar nerve blocks with lidocaine and bupivacaine administered prior to dental extractions resulted in a reduction in heart rate and blood pressure while allowing for a reduction in isoflurane. Cats receiving nerve blocks had lower postoperative pain scores than the group without nerve blocks.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24820999/