Status epilepticus: an independent outcome predictor after cerebral anoxia.

BACKGROUND: Prognosis of status epilepticus (SE) depends on its cause, but there is uncertainty as to whether SE represents an independent outcome predictor for a given etiology. Cerebral anoxia is a relatively homogenous severe encephalopathy. Postanoxic SE is associated to a nearly 100% mortality in this setting; however, it is still unclear whether this is a severity marker of the underlying encephalopathy, or an independent factor influencing outcome. The goal of this study was to assess if postanoxic SE is independently associated with mortality after cerebral anoxia. METHODS: This was a retrospective observation of consecutive comatose survivors of cardiac arrest, including subjects treated with hypothermia. On the subgroup with EEG recordings in the first hospitalization days, univariate and multivariate analyses were applied to potential determinants of in-hospital mortality, and included the following variables: age, gender, type and length of cardiac arrest, occurrence of circulatory shock, presence of therapeutic hypothermia, and electrographic SE. RESULTS: Out of 166 postanoxic patients, 107 (64%) had an EEG (median latency from admission, 2 days); in this group, therapeutic hypothermia was administered in 59%. Death occurred in 71 (67%) patients. Postanoxic SE was associated with mortality regardless of type of acute cardiac rhythm and administration of hypothermic treatment. CONCLUSION: In this hospital-based cohort, postanoxic status epilepticus (SE) seems to be independently related to death in cardiac arrest survivors, suggesting that SE might determine a bad prognosis for a given etiology. Confirmation of these results in a prospective assessment is needed.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha mediates the adaptive response to fasting.

Prolonged deprivation of food induces dramatic changes in mammalian metabolism, including the release of large amounts of fatty acids from the adipose tissue, followed by their oxidation in the liver. The nuclear receptor known as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) was found to play a role in regulating mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation, suggesting that PPARalpha may be involved in the transcriptional response to fasting. To investigate this possibility, PPARalpha-null mice were subjected to a high fat diet or to fasting, and their responses were compared with those of wild-type mice. PPARalpha-null mice chronically fed a high fat diet showed a massive accumulation of lipid in their livers. A similar phenotype was noted in PPARalpha-null mice fasted for 24 hours, who also displayed severe hypoglycemia, hypoketonemia, hypothermia, and elevated plasma free fatty acid levels, indicating a dramatic inhibition of fatty acid uptake and oxidation. It is shown that to accommodate the increased requirement for hepatic fatty acid oxidation, PPARalpha mRNA is induced during fasting in wild-type mice. The data indicate that PPARalpha plays a pivotal role in the management of energy stores during fasting. By modulating gene expression, PPARalpha stimulates hepatic fatty acid oxidation to supply substrates that can be metabolized by other tissues.

Predicting neurological outcome after cardiac arrest.

Purpose of reviewTherapeutic hypothermia and aggressive management of postresuscitation disease considerably improved outcome after adult cardiac arrest over the past decade. However, therapeutic hypothermia alters prognostic accuracy. Parameters for outcome prediction, validated by the American Academy of Neurology before the introduction of therapeutic hypothermia, need further update.Recent findingsTherapeutic hypothermia delays the recovery of motor responses and may render clinical evaluation unreliable. Additional modalities are required to predict prognosis after cardiac arrest and therapeutic hypothermia. Electroencephalography (EEG) can be performed during therapeutic hypothermia or shortly thereafter; continuous/reactive EEG background strongly predicts good recovery from cardiac arrest. On the contrary, unreactive/spontaneous burst-suppression EEG pattern, together with absent N20 on somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), is almost 100% predictive of irreversible coma. Therapeutic hypothermia alters the predictive value of serum markers of brain injury [neuron-specific enolase (NSE), S-100B]. Good recovery can occur despite NSE levels >33 mu g/l, thus this cut-off value should not be used to guide therapy. Diffusion MRI may help predicting long-term neurological sequelae of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.SummaryAwakening from postanoxic coma is increasingly observed, despite early absence of motor signs and frank elevation of serum markers of brain injury. A new multimodal approach to prognostication is therefore required, which may particularly improve early prediction of favorable clinical evolution after cardiac arrest.

Neural detection of complex sound sequences in the absence of consciousness.

The neural response to a violation of sequences of identical sounds is a typical example of the brain's sensitivity to auditory regularities. Previous literature interprets this effect as a pre-attentive and unconscious processing of sensory stimuli. By contrast, a violation to auditory global regularities, i.e. based on repeating groups of sounds, is typically detectable when subjects can consciously perceive them. Here, we challenge the notion that global detection implies consciousness by testing the neural response to global violations in a group of 24 patients with post-anoxic coma (three females, age range 45-87 years), treated with mild therapeutic hypothermia and sedation. By applying a decoding analysis to electroencephalographic responses to standard versus deviant sound sequences, we found above-chance decoding performance in 10 of 24 patients (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P < 0.001), despite five of them being mildly hypothermic, sedated and unarousable. Furthermore, consistently with previous findings based on the mismatch negativity the progression of this decoding performance was informative of patients' chances of awakening (78% predictive of awakening). Our results show for the first time that detection of global regularities at neural level exists despite a deeply unconscious state.

Should Postanoxic Status Epilepticus be Treated Aggressively?-No!

Electrographic status epilepticus and myoclonus represent frequent findings in patients surviving cardiac arrest; both features have been related to poor clinical outcome. Recent data have outlined that status epilepticus appearing during therapeutic hypothermia and sedation is practically and invariably related to a fatal issue, as opposed to some patients presenting status epilepticus and/or myoclonus after return to normothermic conditions. Although it seems reasonable to give a chance of awakening to the latter patients by administering consequent antiepileptic treatment, especially if other favorable prognostic markers are observed, an aggressive treatment of status epilepticus arising during hypothermia seems futile in view of the existing evidence.

Experimental intoxication by the leaves of Melia azedarach (Meliaceae) in cattle

Green leaves of Melia azedarach were administered at single doses ranging from 5 to 30 g/kg bw to 11 calves. Clinical signs were depression, ruminal stasis, dry feces with blood, ataxia, muscle tremors, sternal recumbency, hypothermia and abdominal pain. Serum AST and CPK were increased. Signs appeared from 8 to 24 hours after dosing, and the clinical course lasted from 2 to 72 hours. Three calves dosed with 30g/kg bw died. The macroscopic findings included intestinal congestion, yellow discoloration of the liver, brain congestion and dry feces with blood in the rectum. The liver showed swollen and vacuolated hepatocytes. Necrotic hepatocytes were scattered throughout the parenchyma or concentrated in the periacinar zone. Degenerative and necrotic changes were observed in the epithelium of the forestomachs. There was also necrosis of the lymphoid tissue. Skeletal muscles showed hyaline degeneration and fiber necrosis. The necrotic fragments contained floccular or granular debris with infiltration by macrophages and satellite cells.

Activités antidiabétiques et neuroprotectrices du jus de bleuet biostransformé

Le bleuet démontre un potentiel thérapeutique dans le traitement du cancer et des maladies cardiovasculaires et neurodégénératives. Ces effets bénéfiques sont attribuables aux composés phénoliques abondants dans le bleuet, tels que les anthocyanines et les flavonoïdes. La biotransformation du jus de bleuet avec les bactéries Serratia vaccinii augmente sa teneur en composés phénoliques et son activité anti-oxydante, et modifie ses activités physiologiques. L’objectif de la présente étude est d’évaluer l’activité neuroprotectrice et le potentiel antidiabétique du jus de bleuet biostranformé (BJ). Le BJ est étudié dans différents tests dont : 1) La protection des neurones (N2a) contre le stress oxydatif (SO) induit par le peroxyde d’hydrogène; 2) La stimulation de la prise de glucose par les cellules musculaires (C2C12) et adipeuses (3T3-L1); 3) L’activité anti-hyperglycémique chez les souris obèses diabétiques KKAy. En effet, tandis que le jus de bleuet normal n’a aucun effet, le BJ augmente l’activité des enzymes anti-oxydantes, comme la catalase et la SOD (Superoxide Dimutase) et protège les neurones contre les changements de la signalisation des MAPKs et contre la toxicité induite par le peroxyde d’hydrogène. Le BJ augmente aussi la prise de glucose de 48% dans les cellules C2C12 et de 142% dans les cellules 3T3-L1. Cette augmentation n’est pas expliquée par une augmentation du calcium cytosolique mais plutôt par une stimulation de la phosphorylation de l’AMPK. De plus, le BJ inhibe l’adipogenèse chez les 3T3-L1. Le BJ diminue également l’hyperglycémie chez les souris obèses diabétiques KKAy et protège les jeunes souris pré-diabétiques contre le développement de l’obésité et du diabète. L’activité anti-hyperglycémique du BJ pourrait impliquer les adipokines puisque le BJ augmente le niveau d’adiponectine chez les souris diabétiques. Le BJ représente ainsi une approche prometteuse pour le traitement du diabète et les maladies neurodégénératives et une source de nouveaux agents thérapeutiques contre ces maladies.

Canulacion arterial axilar versus femoral para cirugía del arco aórtico

Objetivo: Determinar si la canulación arterial axilar para perfusión selectiva anterograda cerebral (PSAC) con hipotermia moderada reduce la morbilidad, mortalidad y el pronóstico neurológico en pacientes llevados a cirugía del arco aórtico. Pacientes y métodos: Se hace una revisión retrospectiva de 2 cohortes de pacientes a quienes se les realizo cirugía del arco aórtico urgente o electiva, para comparar dos técnicas de canulación arterial diferente; la canulación axilar para perfusión selectiva anterograda cerebral con hipotermia moderada y la canulación femoral con hipotermia profunda, en un periodo de tiempo comprendido entre Diciembre del 2002 y Agosto del 2008 en el servicio de cirugía cardiovascular de la Fundación Cardioinfantil Instituto de Cardiología. Resultados: 68 pacientes, 50 hombres y 18 mujeres fueron llevados a cirugía de arco aórtico 19 pacientes (27%) con diagnóstico de aneurisma de aorta ascendente y arco aórtico y 49 pacientes (72%) con disección aortica tipo A aguda o crónica. A 55 pacientes (80.9%) se les hizo canulación axilar y a 13 pacientes (19,1%) se les hizo canulación femoral. No se encontraron diferencias en las variables preoperatorias entre los dos grupos. La mortalidad global fue de 13,2% (9 pacientes), todas las muertes se presentaron en pacientes con diagnóstico de disección aortica tipo A. El 55% de los pacientes (38/68) se operaron de urgencia. No se presentaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en la mortalidad entre el grupo de canulación axilar, 8 muertes (14,5%) y el grupo de canulación femoral 1 muerte (7,7%) con (p=0.5). No se encontraron diferencias en la incidencia de déficit neurológico permanente entre los dos grupos, presentándose solamente dos pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular ambos en el grupo de canulación axilar (P=0.48). Conclusiones: la canulación axilar con perfusión cerebral selectiva anterograda en hipotermia moderada representa un método seguro de protección cerebral, con una mortalidad aceptable y una incidencia baja de complicaciones neurológicas permanentes, no encontramos diferencias en la mortalidad o la aparición de eventos neurológicos, cuando se comparo con la técnica de canulación arterial femoral. No se presentaron complicaciones asociadas al sitio de canulación en ninguno de los dos grupos.

Correlación entre saturación venosa, ruptura de anastomosis y formación de fístulas en pacientes con trauma abdominal en el Hospital Occidente de Kennedy

El manejo del trauma abdominal supone el reto de realizar una anastomosis o sutura intestinal en pacientes comprometidos hemodinámicamente. La decisión de cirugía de control de daños ante la presencia de acidosis, hipotermia y coagulopatía es evidente, sin embargo la situación no siempre es tan clara. En individuos con trauma se desarrollan cambios moleculares e inflamatorios por inadecuado balance entre aporte y demanda de oxígeno, que afectan el proceso de reparación de los tejidos con el riesgo de aparición de fístulas. Una forma rápida y práctica de detectar esta hipoperfusión es midiendo la saturación venosa de oxígeno (SVO2) y el Lactato Sérico. OBJETIVOS: Establecer correlación entre los valores de SVO2 transoperatorio y la aparición de fístulas intestinales en pacientes intervenidos por trauma abdominal. MATERIALES Y METODOS: Estudio de cohorte prospectivo que analiza diferentes variables en relación con la aparición de fistulas en pacientes con trauma abdominal que requieren suturas en el tracto gastrointestinal, haciendo énfasis en los niveles de SVO2. RESULTADOS: Los pacientes con falla anastomótica, presentaron un promedio de SVO2 más baja (60.0% ± 2.94%), versus los no fistulizados (69.89% ± 7.21%) (p =0.010). Todos los pacientes de la cohorte expuesta (SVO2<65%), presentaron dehiscencia de la anastomosis (RR =39.8, IC95%: 2.35,659.91, p<0.001, Test exacto de Fisher). El valor predictivo positivo de la saturación (<65%) fue de 57.14% (IC 95%: 13.34%, 100%) y el valor predictivo negativo fue de 100% (IC 95%:81.75%, 100%). La sensibilidad fue de 100% (IC 95%:87.50%, 100%) y especificidad de 91.89% (IC 95%: 81.75%, 100%). En el análisis bivariante determinó que el índice de trauma abdominal, el nivel de hemoglobina y el requerimiento de transfusión de glóbulos rojos, son factores de riesgo directamente relacionados con la falla de la anastomosis en pacientes con trauma abdominal CONCLUSIONES: - Hay una fuerte relación entre la falla en la reparación intestinal y SVO2 < 65%. - El pronóstico de una anastomosis intestinal está directamente relacionada con el estado hemodinámico y la perfusión tisular al momento de la intervención quirúrgica. - El nivel de SVO2 puede apoyar al cirujano en la decisión de realizar o no una reparación en víscera hueca al momento de intervención quirúrgica en un paciente con trauma abdominal.

Proporción de pacientes que presentan hipotermia peri operatoria durante un reemplazo articular de cadera, rodilla u hombro

Introducción: La hipotermia perioperatoria se ha documentado como factor de riesgo para el aumento de la morbimortalidad de los pacientes aumentando morbilidad miocárdica, riesgo de infección, pérdidas sanguíneas y tiempo de hospitalización. La aplicación de anestésicos toma relevancia ya que causa la pérdida de control central de la temperatura. Nuestro objetivo con este estudio fue describir la proporción de casos de hipotermia en la población sometida a un reemplazo articular durante un periodo de cuatro meses. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio de cohorte prospectivo. La población a estudio fueron los pacientes que fueron sometidos a un reemplazo total de cadera, rodilla u hombro. Se registró la temperatura central en el momento previo a la inducción anestésica, 30, 60 y 90 minutos después, al finalizar el procedimiento y al ingresar a recuperación. Se reportó el porcentaje de pacientes con hipotermia en cada tiempo. Resultados: Se analizaron en total 88 pacientes, el 55,7% fue llevado a cirugía de cadera, 39,7% de rodilla y 4,5% de hombro. El tipo de anestesia más utilizado fue general y la duración promedio de anestesia fue 164 minutos. La medición de la temperatura central se realizó en nasofaringe, esófago o tímpano. La proporción de pacientes que presentaron hipotermia en la inducción fue 21,6%, a 30 minutos 83%, a 60 minutos 73,9%, a 90 minutos 68,2%, al finalizar 59,1% y en recuperación 58%. Se realizó una prueba Chi cuadrado comparando las proporciones entre la inducción y los cinco periodos posteriores, se encontró que la proporción de pacientes con hipotermia en los cinco tiempos posteriores tuvo una diferencia estadísticamente significativa (p=0,00) comparada con la proporción de pacientes con hipotermia durante la inducción. Conclusión: En los pacientes sometidos a un reemplazo articular la hipotermia fue una condición prevalente posterior a la aplicación de los anestésicos sistémicos. Los dispositivos de calentamiento intraoperatorio usados actualmente son insuficientes para evitar la hipotermia, lo que indica concordancia con la literatura en cuanto a las recomendaciones de calentamiento perioperatorio, con énfasis en el precalentamiento, para prevenir la caída significativa de la temperatura y la morbimortalidad asociada.

Stochiometrically governed molecular interactions in drug: Poloxamer solid dispersions

This study probes the molecular interactions between model drugs and poloxamers that facilitate dissolution rate improvements using solid dispersions. Ibuprofen and ketoprofen solid dispersions were prepared at different mole ratios using poloxamers 407 and 188. The carbonyl stretching vibration of the ibuprofen dimer shifted to higher wavenumber in the infrared spectra of 2:1 drug:carrier mole ratio solid dispersions, indicating disruption of the ibuprofen dimer concomitant with hydrogen bond formation between the drug and carrier. Solid dispersions with mole ratios >2:1 drug:carrier (up to 29:1) showed both ibuprofen hydrogen-bonded to the poloxamer, and excess drug present as dimers. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed these findings with no evidence of crystalline drug in 2:1 mole ratio systems whereas higher drug loadings retained crystalline ibuprofen. Similar results were found with ketoprofen-poloxamer solid dispersions. Thermal analysis of ibuprofen-poloxamer 407 solid dispersions and their resultant phase diagram suggested solid solutions and a eutectic system were formed, depending on drug loading. Dissolution studies showed fastest release from the solid solutions; dissolution rates from solid solutions were 12-fold greater than the dissolution of ibuprofen powder whereas the eutectic system gave a 6-fold improvement over the powder. When designing solid dispersions to improve the delivery of poorly-water soluble drugs, the nature of drug:carrier interactions, which are governed by the stochiometry of the composition, can affect the dissolution rate improvement.

Avaliação de efeitos biológicos de antiinflamatórios derivados do ácido propiônico através de modelos experimentais em nível molecular e celular

Derivatives of propionic acid NSAIDs are irreversible inhibitors of cyclooxygenase enzyme widely used. The aim of this study was to evaluate, through different experimental models, biological effects of derivatives of propionic acid (fenoprofen, naproxen, ibuprofen and ketoprofen) in cellular and molecular level. The labeling of blood constituents with technetium-99m (99mTc) and morphological analysis of erythrocytes of blood of rats, as well as growth, survival of cultures of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and the assessment of bacterial plasmid electrophoretic profiles were models used for experimental evaluation of possible biological effects of antiinflammatory drugs. The results show that, in general, anti-inflammatory drugs evaluated were not able to alter the labeling of blood constituents with 99mTc, the morphology of red blood cells from blood of rats, as well as the growth of cultures of E. coli and the electrophoretic profile of plasmid DNA. However, naproxen appears to cytotoxic effect on bacterial cultures, plasmids and genotoxic effects in reducing the action of stannous chloride in cultures of E. coli. The use of experimental fast performance and low cost was important for assessment of biological effects, contributing to a better understanding of the properties of propionic acid derivatives studied. anti-inflammatory, blood constituents, technetium-99m, stannous chloride, Escherichia coli; DNA

Diagnósticos de enfermagem em pacientes submetidos à hemodiálise: semelhanças entre o modelo de adaptação e a NANDA internacional

The nurses in the hemodialysis has an important role in the nursing process implementation, in the context of a theoretical referential. Among the nursing theories, highlights the Roy´s adaptations model, who considers a person as an holistic adaptive system that aims to adapt customers to different living conditions. Thus, it is believed that the Roy´s nursing process will guide nursing care to patients on dialysis. Therefore, the study aimed to analyze the nursing diagnosis present in patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis based on the theoretical model of Roy and NANDA-International. Descriptive and cros-sectional study, performed at a dialysis center in a city in northeastern Brazil. Sample of 178 patients and consecutive sampling by convenience. Data collection ocurred from October/2011 until February/2012, through interview and physical examination forms. Data analysis was initiated by clinical reasoning, diagnosis judgment and similarity relation. Then, the data were entered into SPSS program, 16.0 version, generating descriptive statistics. The project was approved by the Ethics Research Committee (protocol nº 115/11) with a Presentation Certificate for Ethics Appreciation (in 0139.0.051.000-111) and was funded by the Universal edict MCT / CNPq 14/2010. The results revealed that most patients were male (52.2%), married (62.9%) and residents in the Natal´s metropolitan region (54.5%). The mean age was 46.6 years and the years of study, 8,5. Regarding nursing diagnosis obtained an average of 6.6, especially: Risk of Infection (100%), excessive fluid volume (99.4%) and hypothermia (61.8%). On the other hand the adaptive problems average was 6.4, and the most common: intracellular fluid retention (99.4%); Hyperkalemia (64.6%); Hypothermia (61.8%) and edema (53.9%). Were established 20 similarity relations between the NANDA-International nursing diagnosis and adaptive problems of Roy, namely: risk of falls / injury risk and potential for injury, impaired physical mobility and walking mobility and / or restricted coordination, dressing self-care deficit and loss of self-care ability; hypothermia and hypothermia; impaired skin integrity and impaired skin integrity; excessive fluid volume and intracellular fluid retention / Hyperkalemia / Hypocalcemia / edema; imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements and Nutrition less than the body's needs; constipation and constipation, acute pain and acute pain, chronic pain and chronic pain, sensorial perception disturbed: visual, tactile and auditory disabilities and a primary sense: sight, hearing and tactile; sleep deprivation and insomnia, fatigue and intolerance to activities; ineffective self health and fails in the role; sexual dysfunction and sexual dysfunction; situational low self-esteem and low self-esteem, and diarrhea and diarrhea. We conclude that there is similarity between the typologies and was required a model´s analysis, because they present different ways to establish the nursing diagnosis. Moreover, the nursing process use, under the context of a theory and a classification system, subsidizes the care and contributes to the strengthening of nursing science

Eficácia da N-butilescopolamina e dipirona sódica associadas ao cetoprofeno no alívio da dor pós-operatória de pacientes submetidas a duas técnicas diferentes de laqueadura por laparoscopia

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A laqueadura laparoscópica (LL) é um dos procedimentos mais dolorosos e a intensidade da dor varia com a técnica selecionada, sendo mais intensa com a técnica de oclusão das tubas uterinas com anel. As pacientes submetidas à LL referem dor em cólica no período PO e a N-butilescopolamina e a dipirona sódica, por suas propriedades anti-espasmódicas e analgésicas, associadas às propriedades antiinflamatórias do cetoprofeno, podem ser opção para profilaxia e tratamento de dor. O objetivo deste foi estudar a eficácia da N-butilescopolamina e da dipirona sódica associadas ao cetoprofeno, na prevenção de dor PO em pacientes submetidas à LL, com duas técnicas diferentes - diatermia e pinçamento com anel. MÉTODO: Participaram do estudo 50 pacientes, estado físico ASA I e II, com idade entre 23 e 47 anos. As pacientes foram distribuídas aleatoriamente em dois grupos: G1 - oclusão das tubas uterinas com anéis, G2 - oclusão das tubas uterinas com diatermia. Todas as pacientes receberam N-butilescopolamina (20 mg) e dipirona sódica (2500 mg) e cetoprofeno (100 mg), por via venosa, imediatamente antes da indução da anestesia. A dor foi avaliada pelo critério de escala numérica verbal, variando de 0 a 10, sendo 0 ausência de dor e 10 o máximo de dor, a cada 10 minutos na primeira hora, na sala de recuperação pós-anestésica (SRPA) e na 1ª, 2ª, 3ª e 4ª horas após a alta da SRPA. Dor com intensidade maior que 3 era tratada com tramadol (100 mg), por via venosa. A avaliação da dor foi realizada sem que se soubesse a que grupo pertencia a paciente. Para análise estatística, testes t de Student, Mann-Whitney e Friedman. RESULTADOS: Ambos os grupos foram idênticos com relação à idade, ao peso, à altura, à duração da cirurgia e anestesia. As pacientes do G1 apresentaram maior escore de dor que as do G2, em todos os momentos do estudo. Valores estatisticamente significativos: 80% das pacientes de G1 e 16% de G2 necessitaram de tramadol em algum momento do estudo. CONCLUSÕES: A N-butilescopolamina e a dipirona sódica associadas ao cetoprofeno mostraram ser alternativa de analgesia pós-operatória quando a laqueadura é realizada com a técnica de diatermia.

Ropivacaína isolada e associada ao fentanil ou ao tramadol administrados pela via peridural em cães

A anestesia peridural é amplamente difundida no meio veterinário, utilizando-se o anestésico local isolado ou associado aos opióides, capazes de promover aumento do efeito analgésico. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a função cardiorrespiratória e analgésica da ropivacaína isolada ou associada ao fentanil ou tramadol. Para tanto, oito cães foram tranqüilizados com acepromazina, submetidos à anestesia peridural com um dos seguintes protocolos: GR (ropivacaína), GRF (ropivacaína + fentanil), GRT (ropivacaína + tramadol), em volume total de 0,25ml kg-1, e foram avaliados os parâmetros: freqüência cardíaca e respiratória, temperatura retal, pressão arterial sistólica, e gasometria do sangue arterial, os bloqueios sensitivo e motor, o grau de sedação e a ocorrência de possíveis efeitos indesejáveis. A diminuição da freqüência cardíaca nos grupos GRF e GRT foi mais intensa e ocorreu hipotermia significativa no GRF. Foi evidenciada sedação severa em GRF e GRT. O período de recuperação foi mais curto nos animais de GRT. O GRT foi o grupo que apresentou bloqueio mais cranial. Foram observadas bradicardia, hipotermia e síndrome de Shiff-Sherrington no período trans-anestésico em animais de todos os grupos. Nas 24 horas de período pós-anestésico, não foram evidenciados efeitos indesejáveis nos grupos. O GRF apresentou maior duração de anestesia e analgesia, enquanto que o GRT apresentou a menor duração de anestesia com analgesia intermediária e o GR apresentou duração intermediária, com menor analgesia. Não foram encontradas alterações respiratórias e hemogasométricas, porém, bradicardia, hipotermia e síndrome de Schiff-Sherrington, alterações trans-anestésicas comuns na anestesia peridural foram encontradas.