IN-VIVO QUANTIFICATION OF MUSCLE DAMAGE IN DOGS AFTER GENERAL-ANESTHESIA WITH HALOTHANE AND PROPOFOL

Muscle damage in dogs anaesthetised with halothane and propofol was qu antified by measurement of the area under the curve of plasma creatine kinase (CK) versus time. Plasma CK remained unchanged during anaesthe sia for two and a half and five hours. Following halothane anaesthesia of dogs (resting on one side directly on the surgical table or on cus hions, and with or without rotation of the body every 30 minutes), pla sma CK was elevated in some animals to 10 000 U/litre by the 12th hour (baseline value less than or equal to 100 u/litre), whereas it remain ed almost unchanged in other animals. Plasma CK then returned to refer ence values on day 2 or 3. The mean equivalent of muscle damaged range d from 0.6 to 0.9 g/kg bodyweight. No muscle damage could be demonstra ted in animals anaesthetised with propofol. It is therefore concluded that plasma CK should not be used as a diagnostic aid following haloth ane anaesthesia because of false positives due to the halothane anaest hesia itself and that propofol is best suited for the investigation of muscle damage due to surgical procedures.