SEVOFLURANE FACE MASK ANESTHESIA IN RABBITS - A COMPARISON OF 3-PERCENT SEVOFLURANE WITH 3-PERCENT HALOTHANE

Sevoflurane is a rapid-acting, potent, volatile anesthetic which is wi dely used in the clinical field. The anesthetic shows rapid uptake and elimination due to a low blood:gas partition coefficient. In this stu dy, we tested the efficacy of sevoflurane anesthesia with a face mask in rabbit anesthesia. Five adult SPF New Zealand white rabbits were in duced and maintained with 3% sevoflurane and 3% halothane using a face mask. Physiologic conditions were evaluated according to body tempera ture, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and blood gas chang es. The induction and recovery times were recorded. The depth of anest hesia was monitored with righting, withdrawal and palpebral reflexes o f the rabbits. The induction time of anesthesia, estimated by the time from the commencement of gas inhalation to the loss of muscle tone wa s significantly shorter (101 +/- 19 seconds) in sevoflurane than in ha lothane (135 +/- 16 seconds). The recovery time from sevoflurane anest hesia, divided into three stages, alert stage (179 +/- 85 seconds), si tting stage (301 +/- 141 seconds) and walking stage (360 +/- 126 secon ds) was significantly shorter than that from halothane anesthesia. The depth of anesthesia was lighter than the plane 3 at stage 3 during bo th halothane and sevoflurane anesthesia. Respiratory rate was well mai ntained in both halothane and sevoflurane anesthesia. Blood pressure, particularly systolic pressure, was decreased by halothane but less si gnificant by sevoflurane. Blood gas analysis showed no diversities bet ween the two anesthetics. We conclude that a face mask anesthesia with sevoflurane is a useful anesthetic method for rabbits.