ANESTHETIC AND POSTANESTHETIC MANAGEMENT OF SEA-TURTLES

Objective-To examine the physiologic effects of inhalation anesthesia in aquatic turtles to improve anesthetic techniques and postanesthetic monitoring. Design-Retrospective case series. Animals-9 Kemp's ridley sea turtles. Procedure-Isoflurane was used as the general anesthetic during 14 minor surgical procedures. Turtles were orotracheally intuba ted, and a surgical plane of anesthesia was maintained with 2.7 +/- 0. 4% (mean +/- SE) isoflurane. The duration of anesthesia was 131 +/- 12 minutes. Pulse rate, blood pressure, blood gases (Pa-O2 and Pa-CO2) a nd pH, blood lactic acid concentration, and capnography were used to e valuate the physiologic responses of sea turtles to isoflurane. Result s-An isoflurane concentration of 3.4 +/- 0.3% provided anesthetic indu ction in 7 +/- 1 minutes. The mean duration of the recovery phase was 241 +/- 31 minutes. The duration of the recovery phase was not affecte d by the duration of anesthesia, type of carrier gas, method of ventil atory weaning, or use of selected pharmacologic agents. The recovery p hase was characterized by hypoxemia, progressive acidemia, hypercapnia , and lactic acidosis. Awakening in the turtles was preceded by a char acteristic tachycardia and tachypnea. All sea turtles recovered from i soflurane anesthesia without apparent adverse effects within 24 hours. Clinical Implications-Isoflurane appears to be safe and effective in providing surgical anesthesia in turtles that require a timely return to an aquatic environment. This study should assist veterinarians in p redicting the physiologic responses of aquatic turtles to inhalation a gents.