Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Atracurium helps unblock urethral plugs in male cats faster
By Galluzzi, F et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2012·Veterinary Clinic Castellarano, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effect of intraurethral administration of atracurium besylate in male cats with urethral plugs.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of male cats with urinary blockage due to urethral plugs were treated with a special solution called atracurium besylate, which was injected into their urethra. This treatment helped 64% of the cats have their blockage cleared on the first try, compared to only 15% in the group that received a saline solution. Additionally, the time it took to remove the blockage was much shorter for those treated with atracurium, averaging just over 21 seconds versus 235 seconds for the saline group. This suggests that atracurium besylate can be an effective option for quickly resolving urinary obstructions in male cats.
People also search for: cat urinary blockage treatment · urethral plugs in male cats · atracurium besylate for cats
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of intraurethral administration of atracurium besylate for urinary obstruction resulting from urethral plugs in male cats. METHODS: Forty-five male cats were divided into the treatment group (n=25), in which 4 mL atracurium besylate solution (0·5 mg/mL) was injected into the urethral lumen, and the control group (n=20), treated with saline. All cats were then submitted to retrograde flushing until the removal of the occlusion was obtained. RESULTS: The percentage of cats in which the plug was removed at the first attempt was significantly (P<0·05) higher in the treatment group (64%) than in the control group (15%). Moreover, the mean (±SD) time required for the removal of the urethral obstruction was significantly shorter in the treatment group than in the control group (21·1 ±16·2 seconds versus 235·2 ±132·4 seconds; P<0·001). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The results of this study indicate that in adult male cats with urethral plugs, urethral administration of atracurium besylate increases the proportion of animals in which the obstruction is removed at the first attempt and reduces the time required to remove the urethral plugs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22747734/