INDICATORS OF POSTOPERATIVE PAIN IN CATS AND CORRELATION WITH CLINICAL-CRITERIA

Objective-To identify clinical indicators that may help identify posto perative pain in cats after ovariohysterectomy. Animals-Healthy, labor atory animal source cats. Procedure-Clinical indicators of pain were i dentified, and relief from pain in response to butorphanol was studied in 5 groups of cats. 10 cats had 1 hour of general anesthesia only, f ollowed by recovery without additional medication. 10 cats had general anesthesia and ovariohysterectomy, followed by recovery without addit ional medication. 10 cats had general anesthesia, ovariohysterectomy, and postoperative administration of all mg of butorphanol/kg of body w eight. Another 10 cars had general anesthesia, ovariohysterectomy, and postoperative administration of 0.3 mg butorphanol/kg. 10 cats receiv ed 0.1 mg of butorphanol/kg, IM, only. Samples and recorded data were obtained before, during, and after the anesthesia period. Clinical var iables measured in-eluded heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate , rectal temperature, PCV, and blood glucose concentration. Results we re compared with changes in norepinephrine, epinephrine, and cortisol concentrations. Results-Cats that did not receive analgesics had highe r cortisol concentration than did cats without surgery and cats that r eceived butorphanol after surgery. Systolic blood pressure measured by ultrasonic Doppler was found to be predictive of cortisol concentrati on, using a multiple linear regression model. Conclusions-Cortisol con centration increased in response to surgical stress and pain, and this increase was diminished by use of butorphanol. Clinical Relevance-Sys tolic blood pressure was the best clinical predictor of postoperative pain.