Arterial blood pressure and blood gas composition of white rhinoceroses under etorphine anaesthesia

Arterial blood pressure and blood gas composition were investigated in white rhinoceroses immobilized with either etorphine / fentanyl (n = 6) or etorphine / azaperone (n = 6) mixtures. In the etorphine / fentanyl group, arterial pressure was higher (183 ± 16 mm Hg) than the mean value observed in the latter group (141 ± 24 mm Hg). In both groups, anaesthesia was accompanied by hypoxaemia and hypercapnia. Assuming that such effects could contribute to post-capture morbidity and / or mortality, either oxygen supplementation or the administration of a respiratory stimulant as soon as possible after recumbency is indicated. In addition, the use of azaperone may alleviate possible blood pressure elevation in these animals during immobilization. Arteriële bloeddruk en bloedgassamestelling is ondersoek in witrenosters wat met mengsels van òf etorfien / fentaniel (n = 6) òf etorfien / asaperoon (n = 6) geïmmobiliseer is. Die arteriële bloeddruk van die etorfien / fentanielgroep (183 ± 16 mm Hg) was hoër as die gemiddelde waarde (141 ± 24 mm Hg) van die ander groep. In beide groepe het narkose met hipoksemie en hiperkapnie gepaard gegaan. Indien aanvaar word dat hierdie uitwerking tot morbiditeit en / of mortaliteit na die vangs mag bydra, sou dit gerade wees om suurstof of 'n asemhalingstimulant so gou moontlik nadat die dier gaan lê het, toe te dien. Die gebruik van asaperoon mag bydra tot die verligting van moontlike bloeddrukverhogingtydens immobilisasie .