19/08/2023
CAFFEINE INCREASES RECOVERY TIME FROM GENERAL ANESTHESIA: A PRIMARY EXAMPLE IN RED DEER (CERVUS ELAPHUS)🦌
Johanna Peiner-Gigler, Wildlife Veterinarian, Senior Scientist1, Friederike Polin, Wildlife Veterinarian, Senior Researcher1, Hanna Rauch-Schmöcking, Wildlife Veterinarian, Researcher1, Hataypat Rattanatanya Veterinarian, PhD Student2, Biologist Anita Metzinger, BSc Veterinary Medicine Medicine1, Wildlife Biologist Paul Griesberger, Researcher3, Gabriel Stalder Veterinarian, Senior Scientist1
1 Research Institute for Wildlife Ecology, Vetmeduni Vienna, Savoienstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria. 2 Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Vetmeduni Vienna, Savoienstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria. 3 Institute of Wildlife and Game Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria
Summary:
🔸Because new anesthesia protocols are species appropriate and weight dependent, general anesthesia in the wild has improved significantly. Anesthesia in wild ruminants is generally stable, but recovery from anesthesia can be rough, prolonged, and patients' rumen activity is disrupted for a long time.
🔸Drugs that increase cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels, such as caffeine, shorten recovery time and improve recovery periods after general anesthesia in rats and humans (RH) without affecting vital parameters such as heart rate or blood pressure at low doses.
🔸Eight adult red deer (Cervus elaphus) kept in large (> 100 ha) natural enclosures were captured and collared for ecological research. They were anesthetized with 2.5 mg/kg zoletil (tiletamine + zolazepam, Virbac, Switzerland) plus 0.08 mg/kg medetomidine (20 mg/ml, Richter Pharma, Austria) and placed in a lateral or chest position.
🔸All animals received 5 L of nasal oxygen and 8-10 ml/kg/h of Ringer's lactate intravenously. Reversed with 5 mg of atipamezole per 1 mg of medetomidine intramuscularly, on average 57.8 minutes after the administration of the anesthetic. Half of the animals were slowly injected with 0.7 mg/kg caffeine (Novacoc, Richter Pharma, Austria, food approved) intravenously at the same time point. 🔸Recovery time averaged 12.5 minutes and was reduced to 8.5 minutes in individuals treated with caffeine intravenously. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, increases respiration and muscle activity, increases cardiac output, increases urine output, and is thought to accelerate cognitive recovery (RH).
🔸Conclusion: Administration of caffeine appears to result in faster and more uniform recovery from anesthesia in red deer. To confirm these initial observations, controlled studies are needed that measure vital parameters during and quality of the recovery period.