Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart and breathing effects of dexmedetomidine and atropine in cats
By Monteiro, Eduardo R et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2009·Faculdade de Medicina Veteriná, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of cardiorespiratory effects of combinations of dexmedetomidine and atropine in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Six cats were given different combinations of dexmedetomidine (a sedative) and atropine (a medication to increase heart rate) to see how these affected their heart and blood pressure. The study found that dexmedetomidine alone lowered heart rate and blood pressure, but when atropine was added, it helped prevent a slow heart rate while causing a temporary increase in blood pressure. Overall, using atropine with dexmedetomidine helped manage heart rate without causing significant drops in blood pressure. This combination can be useful in veterinary settings to keep cats stable during sedation.
People also search for: cat sedation heart rate · dexmedetomidine effects in cats · atropine use in cats sedation
Abstract
The cardiovascular effects of dexmedetomidine alone or in combination with atropine were studied in six cats. Cats underwent four treatments in a randomized crossover design as follows: DEX15, saline+dexmedetomidine 15microg/kg; DEX30, saline+dexmedetomidine 30microg/kg; ADEX15, atropine+dexmedetomidine 15microg/kg; ADEX30, atropine+dexmedetomidine 30microg/kg. Pulse rate (PR) and systolic arterial pressure (SAP) decreased in DEX15 and DEX30. Premedication with atropine was effective in preventing bradycardia (PR<100 beats/min) and resulted in a biphasic effect in blood pressure. Hypertension was followed by a gradual decrease in SAP. Rate pressure product decreased in DEX15 and DEX30 whereas in ADEX15 and ADEX30 it remained within baseline values for at least 60min. Although premedication with atropine in cats sedated with dexmedetomidine prevents bradycardia, it induces hypertension and increases myocardial oxygen consumption. The magnitude of cardiovascular effects produced by dexmedetomidine in cats does not seem to be dose-related.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19254860/