Comparison of Analgesic Effects of a Constant Rate Infusion of Both Tramadol and Acetaminophen Versus those of Infusions of Each Individual Drug in Horses

Ocular penetration of oral acetaminophen in horses

BACKGROUND

Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is increasingly used to treat painful conditions in horses but its ocular penetration has not been studied.

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether orally administered acetaminophen penetrates the aqueous humour of the normal equine eye and report an aqueous humour:serum acetaminophen concentration ratio in horses.

STUDY DESIGN

In vivo experiment.

METHODS

Six privately owned horses with normal ophthalmic examinations weighing 568 ± 65 kg (mean ± standard deviation) and aged 11 ± 4 years were given 20 mg/kg acetaminophen orally every 12 h for a total of six doses. Physical exam parameters were recorded prior to, during, and after the dosing period. One hour after the final dose, horses were sedated and simultaneous aqueous humour and serum samples were collected and analysed for acetaminophen concentrations and selected eicosanoids. An aqueous humour:serum acetaminophen concentration ratio was calculated. A second aqueous humour sample was taken and analysed for eicosanoid concentrations 3 months after acetaminophen dosing. Physical exam data were compared between time points using a mixed model analysis (significance p < 0.05).

RESULTS

Acetaminophen was detected in both serum and aqueous humour of all horses and mean ± standard deviation aqueous humour:serum acetaminophen concentration ratio was 44.9 ± 15.9%. No significant changes in physical exam parameters occurred during or after dosing. Eicosanoids were not detected in aqueous humour at any sampling point.

MAIN LIMITATIONS

Presence of acetaminophen in the aqueous humour may not relate to clinical effect. A therapeutic level of acetaminophen has not been determined in horses, and the absence of ocular inflammation does not reflect conditions in which acetaminophen may be used.

CONCLUSIONS

Acetaminophen readily penetrates the aqueous humour of the normal equine eye after consecutive oral dosing. Further study is required to determine whether acetaminophen is useful in the treatment of ocular pain and inflammation.

Pharmacokinetics and effects of codeine in combination with acetaminophen on thermal nociception in horses

Codeine and acetaminophen in combination have proven to be an effective analgesic treatment for moderate-to-severe and postoperative pain in humans. Studies have demonstrated that codeine and acetaminophen, when administered as sole agents, are well tolerated by horses. In the current study, we hypothesized that administration of the combination of codeine and acetaminophen would result in a significant thermal antinociceptive effect compared with administration of either alone. Six horses were administered oral doses of codeine (1.2 mg/kg), acetaminophen (20 mg/kg), and codeine plus acetaminophen (1.2 mg/kg codeine and 6-6.4 mg/kg acetaminophen) in a three-way balanced crossover design. Plasma samples were collected, concentrations of drug and metabolites determined via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and pharmacokinetic analyses were performed. Pharmacodynamic outcomes, including effect on thermal thresholds, were assessed. Codeine Cmax and AUC were significantly different between the codeine and combination group. There was considerable inter-individual variation in the pharmacokinetic parameters for codeine, acetaminophen, and their metabolites in horses. All treatments were well tolerated with minimal significant adverse effects. An increase in the thermal threshold was noted at 1.5 and 2 h, from 15 min through 6 h and 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 3 h in the codeine, acetaminophen, and combination groups, respectively.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in equine orthopaedics

Orthopaedic disorders are commonly encountered in equine veterinary medicine, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) play an important role in the management of many equine orthopaedic disorders. There are multiple NSAIDs available for use in horses, including both non-selective and selective NSAIDS, and the body of literature evaluating the efficacy of these medications, their effects on normal and inflamed musculoskeletal tissues, and their side effects is broad. This review aims to summarise the current literature on the use of NSAIDs for equine orthopaedic disorders and examines new and future avenues for the management of inflammation in equine orthopaedics.

Intravenous Acetaminophen Does Not Provide Adequate Postoperative Analgesia in Dogs Following Ovariohysterectomy

Simple Summary

Acetaminophen is the most commonly used pain relief (analgesic) agent in humans worldwide and its use is becoming more frequent in dogs. However, limited evidence supports this use. This study aimed to investigate the analgesic effect of acetaminophen when administered as an intravenous injection post-operatively in female dogs. A total of 34 dogs were randomly divided into two groups and either administered acetaminophen or saline intravenously immediately after desexing. The dogs had their pain levels evaluated at 10, 20, 40, 60, 120, and 180 min after awakening from general anesthesia and the pain levels between groups were compared. Concurrently, the dogs had blood collected at 2, 5, 10, 40, and 80 min following injection of the acetaminophen. The blood was analyzed to quantify the levels of acetaminophen in the body. This study found that acetaminophen was no better than saline in providing analgesia in dogs following surgery. This study suggests that acetaminophen used alone may not be an appropriate post-operative analgesic agent for desexing procedures.

Abstract

(1) Objective: To investigate the analgesic effects of intravenous acetaminophen after intravenous administration in dogs presenting for ovariohysterectomy. (2) Methods: 14 ASA I client-owned female entire dogs. In this randomized, blinded, clinical study, dogs were given meperidine and acepromazine intramuscularly before induction of anesthesia with intravenous propofol. Anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane in oxygen. Intravenous acetaminophen 20 mg/kg or 0.9% NaCl was administered postoperatively. Pain assessments were conducted using the Glasgow Pain Scale short form before premedication and at 10, 20, 60, 120, and 180 min post-extubation or until rescue analgesia was given. The pain scores, times, and incidences of rescue analgesia between the groups was compared. Blood was collected before and 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 min after acetaminophen administration. Acetaminophen plasma concentration was quantified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The acetaminophen plasma concentration at the time of each pain score evaluation was subsequently calculated. (3) Results: There was no significant difference in pain scores at 10 min, highest pain scores, or time of rescue analgesia between groups. In each group, 3 dogs (43%) received rescue analgesia within 20 min. (4) Conclusions: Following ovariohysterectomy in dogs, there was no detectable analgesic effect of a 20 mg/kg dosage of intravenous acetaminophen administered at the end of surgery.

Pharmacokinetics of paracetamol in the Thoroughbred horse following an oral multi-dose administration

Paracetamol is a widely used, non-opioid analgesic and antipyretic drug. Scientific evidence suggests that it is an effective pain treatment in equine medicine. However, there is very little published information about the pharmacokinetics of the drug in the horse. The aim of the research was to determine the pharmacokinetics of paracetamol in equine plasma and urine to inform treatment of Thoroughbred racehorses. In this multi-dose study, paracetamol was administered orally at 20 mg/kg to six Thoroughbred horses. Pre- and post-administration urine and plasma samples were collected and analysed using a quantitative liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. Pharmacokinetic analysis of urine and plasma paracetamol clearance profiles was carried out, which enabled the calculation of possible screening limits (SL) that can regulate for a detection time of 120 h. Additionally, an estimation of orthocetamol concentration levels in urine was carried out to investigate any underlying relationship between the para- and ortho-isomers as both were suspected to contribute to basal levels, possibly due to environmental feed sources.

A review of recent developments in the pharmacological prevention and treatment of endocrinopathic laminitis

Despite the prevalence of endocrinopathic laminitis, the pharmacologic options for preventing and treating the disease are severely limited. The present review aims to discuss the spectrum of potential therapeutic agents for the condition, ranging from early experimental compounds to agents nearing registration. There are different pharmacologic targets for, and approaches to, managing laminitis. Reducing hyperinsulinaemia is central to diminishing endocrinopathic laminitis risk, and a detailed understanding of the pathophysiology of insulin dysregulation is necessary to identify pathways that can be targeted to minimise post-prandial insulin secretion and action. This area of research is advancing rapidly, with several exciting prospects, such as sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors, on the horizon for the treatment of equine metabolic dysfunction. Drugs that directly target the lamellae and aim to reduce the damage inflicted on the lamellae as part of this condition, are not yet available. Although progress in this area of laminitis therapy is slower, improved understanding of the events that lead to lamellar failure has enabled the investigation of novel drugs that aim to prevent laminitis at the site of the lesion. Finally, a brief review is included of the directions being taken in the management of the chronic and acute pain that accompanies laminitis. Medications for relieving the pain associated with laminitis are currently the most-prescribed drugs for the disease, and range from simple, affordable and thoroughly tested options, such as phenylbutazone, to newer, less-understood applications such as paracetamol and gabapentin. In the future, endocrinopathic laminitis management plans will likely take a multi-faceted approach that still hinge on effective dietary management and exercise, but also include drugs that address foot pathology, pain and underlying endocrine disturbances.