Effect of oral trazodone on the minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane in dogs

Objective

To determine the effect of oral trazodone on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane in dogs.

Study design

Prospective blinded, single-observer, randomized crossover experimental study.

Animals

Six adult (age 6.8 ± 1.6 months) healthy dogs (three males and three females), weighing 24.8 ± 3.4 kg (mean ± standard deviation).

Methods

Each dog was anesthetized twice with a minimum of 7 days between anesthetic episodes. Dogs were randomly assigned to be administered two treatments in a crossover design: premedication with trazodone (8 mg kg^?1; TRAZ–ISO) orally 2 hours prior to an anesthetic episode or no (ISO). Dogs were anesthetized with intravenous propofol (6 mg kg^?1) and isoflurane in >95% oxygen. Isoflurane MAC was determined using an iterative bracketing technique with electrodes placed in the buccal mucosa. Hemodynamic variables were compared at the lowest end-tidal isoflurane concentration at which each dog did not respond. A paired t test was used to assess the effect of treatment on outcome variables with significance set to a value of p < 0.05.

Results

The MAC concentration (mean ± standard deviation) in dogs administered TRAZ–ISO was 0.85 ± 0.17% compared with 1.02 ± 0.11% in those administered ISO (p = 0.01, 95% confidence interval ?0.25 to ?0.05), resulting in a mean MAC reduction of 17 ± 12%. There were no differences in hemodynamic variables between treatments.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

Premedication of dogs with oral trazodone (8 mg kg^?1) 2 hours prior to anesthetic induction has a significant isoflurane MAC sparing effect with no significant observed hemodynamic benefit.