Thiopental Sodium anesthesia

[drsureshvet]

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Does anyone have information/ protocol and practical advice on Thiopental sodium anesthesia induction after preanesthetic treatment?
1. Any web link on preanesthesia drug combinations (and their dosages) for healthy adult dogs and thiopentone dosage range.
2. Precautions to be taken before, during and after induction (eg: lean animals, brachicephalics, perivascular injection etc)
3. Info on side effects and recovery.
4. Any other pertinent info on this kind of anesthesia induction.

If you know any link to any website that has answers for the above Qs, please inform.
Thanks much

 

[CalliopeDVM]

The Veterinary Anesthesia & Analgesia Support Group website at www.vasg.org is a good information site for a large variety of anesthetic and analgesic drugs and protocols. Here's a link to their general information on Thio: http://www.vasg.org/s_thru_u.htm

 

[drsureshvet]

Thanks CalliopeDVM. I have noticed that more and more thiopentone needs to be administered in subsequent attempts to produce same level of anesthesia. Has anyone noticed this? I am a bit hesitant to increase the dosage boluses as it has very profound cardiac effects and recovery takes forever, especially after preanesthetic (BAG) treatment. Any protocols that you follow for this after preanesthetic medication? Thanks.

 

[Flungau]

Why would you use this agent when there are much more suitable ones available?

 

[drsureshvet]

I know. Propofol is more appropriate but thiopental costs less and some people prefer it for this reason alone esp. in humane societies.

 

[SilverSpyderGT]

Thiopental also has a much longer shelf life than propofol and doesn't turn into disgusting green glop if you don't use the whole bottle at once. If all you're using it for is an occasional cat/small dog, for example, it doesn't make any economic sense to use propofol.

Used correctly and with proper considerations for body fat distribution, thiopental is safe and effective. I have used it before as an induction agent and am comfortable with it.

 

[drsureshvet]

@SilverSpyderGT- Can you share your protocol with me? The agent doesn't anesthetize the animal adequately at times which makes intubation impossible. Any suggestions on induction technique? What's the concentration that you use (2.5% etc.)?

 

[SilverSpyderGT]

I think specific dosing information would constitute a ToS violation, and I am not comfortable with giving anesthetic doses for patients I have not personally evaluated... the VASG site has good information, though.

 

[Bill59]

@SilverSpyderGT- Can you share your protocol with me? The agent doesn't anesthetize the animal adequately at times which makes intubation impossible. Any suggestions on induction technique? What's the concentration that you use (2.5% etc.)?

Did you check out the link CalliopeDVM posted? The section on thiopental covers all of that. Also any good veterinary anesthesia textbook would discuss this. I like Lumb & Jones, which has an entire chapter on injectable anesthetic techniques inlcuding thiopental.

 

[drsureshvet]

@Bill59. Yeah. I did see the link but it's general info not exactly what I wanted to know. I want to know what to do when the animal does not become intubable even after initial induction dose? I am hesitant about higher incremental doses because it delays recovery. Recall, Thiopental gets stored in fat and will be released slowly to be finally metabolized by liver. So, hangover persists lot longer than propofol.
Any practical advise on how to avoid it? any advise on a good or most common preanesthetic used for thiopental?

 

[CBRGrl]

Try posting your question on VIN...not sure this site is really the best place to be asking these kinds of questions (since most of us are still students and not yet boarded).

Also, why does your status say you're a school admin...what year in school are you?

 

[Bill59]

@Bill59. Yeah. I did see the link but it's general info not exactly what I wanted to know.

That's because general info is about all you can do in a forum like this. Anything more specific requires considering all the clinical details of an individual patient.

I want to know what to do when the animal does not become intubable even after initial induction dose?

"To effect"

Recall, Thiopental gets stored in fat and will be released slowly to be finally metabolized by liver. So, hangover persists lot longer than propofol. Any practical advise on how to avoid it?

That's a pharamcokinetic property of the particular drug. I don't think you can avoid that other than using a different drug.

As for specific pre-ansethetic protocols, I'll again refer to the VASG website or an anesthesia text both of which provide that information.