Effect of flunixin meglumine alone and in combination on haemodynamics during bovine endotoxic shock and after treatment

Abstract

To investigate the effect of Flunixin meglumine- a NSAID; alone and in combination with hypertonic saline on endotoxemic buffalo calves, two groups of five apparently healthy male buffalo calves aged be-tween 6-8 months were subjected to I.V. infusion of E.coli endotoxin at the rate of 5μg/kg BW per hour for 3 hours. A highly significant (P < 0.01) fall in mean systolic,diastolic, pulse, mean arterial pressure (M.A.P), central venous pressure (C.V.P) and haemo-globin was observed till the end of endotoxin infusion while respiratory rate was significantly elevated along with a non-significant alteration in rectal tem-perature and hematocrit during the infusion of en-dotoxin. Immediately at the end of endotoxin infusion, flunixin meglumine at the rate of 1.1 mg/kg B.W was infused i.v. in group-I animals and group-II animals were infused with hypertonic saline solution (H.S.S.) at the rate of 4 ml/Kg BW as one time infusion fol-lowed by flunixin meglumine at the rate of 1.1 mg/kg B.W which resulted in increase of various parameters either to normal or very close to normal value while the rectal temperature and haematocrit decreased non-significantly throughout the observation period of 7 hours. No improvement in Hb and respiration was observed consequent to FM administration. Both treatments successfully raised systolic, diastolic, pulse pressure, C.V.P & M.A.P to normal pre-infusion val-ues. From the results of the present investigation, it can be concluded that i.v. infusion of FM alone and in combination with hypertonic saline solution in en-dotoxemic buffalo calves effectively restores the various hemodynamic parameters close to normal pre-infusion values and it can be used as immediate resuscitation measure to provide the clinician valu-able time to plan further long term treatment.