Related Experiment Videos
Dobutamine-induced bradycardia in a dog
Erik H Hofmeister1, Kathleen Keenan, Christine M Egger
1Department of Large Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. erikh@vet.uga.edu
Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia
|March 15, 2005
Summary
A dog experienced severe bradycardia (slow heart rate) during anesthesia after dobutamine administration, potentially due to the Bezold-Jarisch reflex. This highlights the need for careful monitoring and intervention during anesthesia.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Anesthesiology
- Cardiovascular Physiology
Background:
- A case study involving an 8-year-old mixed-breed dog undergoing surgical removal of uroliths.
- The patient received midazolam, glycopyrrolate, and morphine for pre-anesthetic medication, with anesthesia induced by propofol and maintained with isoflurane.
Observation:
- Hypotension developed one hour after induction, prompting additional propofol administration.
- Subsequent dobutamine infusion resulted in a rapid and profound decrease in heart rate (bradycardia).
Findings:
- The bradycardia was successfully treated with atropine.
- The Bezold-Jarisch reflex, an intracardiac parasympathetic nervous reflex, is proposed as the cause of the bradycardia.
Implications:
- Clinicians should consider the Bezold-Jarisch reflex when dobutamine causes bradycardia in anesthetized patients.
- Discontinuation of dobutamine or administration of a parasympatholytic agent may be necessary to manage dobutamine-induced bradycardia.