Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pain relief and side effects of hydromorphone given under the skin
By Robertson, Sheilah A et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2009·Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Antinociceptive and side-effects of hydromorphone after subcutaneous administration in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Six cats were given a subcutaneous injection of hydromorphone, a pain relief medication, to see how well it worked and what side effects it caused. The cats showed an increase in skin temperature and pain relief, but the effects took longer to kick in compared to other injection methods. Unfortunately, five of the cats vomited, and two seemed very uncomfortable after the injection. This suggests that while the subcutaneous route is easier to administer, it may not be the best choice for pain management in cats due to the slower relief and higher chance of side effects.
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Abstract
The subcutaneous (SC) route is often chosen for drug administration in cats because it is easier to perform than intravenous (IV) injection and is perceived as less painful than intramuscular (IM) injection. However, little is known of how the route of administration influences the pharmacodynamics of drugs. This study measured the changes in skin temperature and thermal threshold (TT) and recorded the side-effects after SC injection of 0.1mg/kg of hydromorphone in six cats. Time to peak TT was 105min. Skin temperature was elevated at 15min and between 45 and 360min. Five cats vomited and two exhibited marked dysphoria. Compared to previously published studies of IV and IM administration of hydromorphone, the SC route results in a slower onset of peak effect, a shorter duration of antinociception and is associated with more undesirable side-effects. As with IV and IM injections, SC administration of hydromorphone at 0.1mg/kg is associated with a significant elevation in skin temperature. Overall, the SC route appears to have the least utility.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18675572/