HEART RATE AND INDIRECT BLOOD PRESSURE RESPONSES TO FOUR DIFFERENT FIELD ANESTHETIC PROTOCOLS IN WILD-BORN CAPTIVE...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Anesthesiology
• Primate Physiology
• Cardiovascular Monitoring

Background:

• Limited data exist on hemodynamic responses to anesthesia in wild-born chimpanzees.
• Accurate cardiovascular monitoring is essential for routine health assessments in this species.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) responses to four distinct anesthetic protocols in wild-born chimpanzees.
• To identify which anesthetic protocols elicit significant hemodynamic variations.

Main Methods:

• 176 clinically healthy, wild-born chimpanzees were anesthetized using medetomidine-ketamine (MK), tiletamine-zolazepam (TZ), tiletamine-zolazepam-medetomidine (TZM), or medetomidine-ketamine with isoflurane (MKI).
• HR, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were recorded regularly post-induction.
• Statistical analyses (Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn's test) compared hemodynamic parameters between protocols; time course data were plotted.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in mean HR were observed between protocols (TZ higher than MKI and MK; TZM higher than MK).
• Mean SBP and DBP were significantly higher in MK and TZM compared to TZ, and in MK compared to MKI.
• Hemodynamic time courses varied significantly, with the MKI protocol showing the most pronounced decline over time.

Conclusions:

• Anesthetic protocol selection critically influences hemodynamic parameters in wild-born chimpanzees.
• The timing of cardiovascular measurements post-anesthetic induction is a key variable.
• Consideration of both anesthetic choice and measurement timing is vital for accurate cardiovascular assessment in this species.