The cardiopulmonary and acid-base effects of butorphanol in desflurane anesthetized dogs breathing spontaneously were evaluated. Twenty adult healthy, male and female dogs were used. They were separated into two groups of 10 animals each (GS and GB). Anesthesia was induced with propofol (8.4±0.8mg kg-1 IV) and maintained with desflurane (10V%). After 40 minutes of induction, the animals from GS received saline solution at 0.9% (0.05mL kg-1) and from GB received butorphanol (0.4mg kg-1), both applied intramuscularly. Heart (HR) and respiratory (RR) rates; systolic (SAP), diastolic (DAP) and mean (MAP) arterial pressures; arterial blood pH (pH), arterial partial pressure of O2 (PaO2) and arterial partial pressure of CO2 (PaCO2); base deficit (BD), arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) and bicarbonate ion concentration (HCO3) were measured. The measurements were taken immediately before the application of the agents (M0). Serial measurements were carried out at 15 minutes intervals after the administration of butorphanol or saline up to 75 minutes (M15, M30, M45, M60 and M75). Data were submitted to Profile Analysis (P<0.05). After butorphanol administration HR, SAP, DAP and MAP decreased significantly. PaO2 had discreet alterations, however without clinical meaning. RR and pH decreased after butorphanol administration while PaCO2 increased significantly. It was possible to conclude that butorphanol administration in desflurane anesthetized dogs produced reduction in the averages of heart rate and arterial pressure and relatively to the respiratory parameters, the opioid produced hypoventilation in spontaneously breathing dogs.
butorphanol; desflurane; dogs; blood gases
