Maintenance

Alfaxan Multidose and maintenance of Anesthesia

Post-induction, anesthesia may be maintained with an inhalation agent or with Alfaxan Multidose.  Maintenance doses of Alfaxan Multidose can be given as supplemental boluses.  Alfaxan has been used safely and effectively in dogs and cats for procedures lasting up to one hour.1617

Suggested Alfaxan Multidose intravenous maintenance doses for dogs and cats

 

Dogs

Cats

 

Dose

Duration of Anesthesia

Dose

Duration of Anesthesia

Unpreanesthetized

1.5 – 2.2 mg/kg

6 – 8 minutes

1.4 – 1.5 mg/kg

3 – 5 minutes

Preanesthetized

1.2 – 1.4 mg/kg

6 – 8 minutes

1.1 – 1.3 mg/kg

7 – 8 minutes

When maintaining anesthesia with Alfaxan Multidose, the anesthetist should monitor the patient’s anesthetic depth and adjust the infusion rate, bolus volume or interval appropriately.  Additional doses of Alfaxan Multidose similar to those used for maintenance may be administered to facilitate transition to inhalant maintenance agent.

Warnings

When anesthetized using Alfaxan Multidose, patients should be continuously monitored and facilities for the maintenance of a patient airway and oxygen supplementation must be immediately available.

Rapid bolus administration or anesthetic overdose may cause cardiorespiratory depression, including hypotension, apnea, hypoxia or death. Arrhythmias may occur secondary to apnea and hypoxia.  In cases of anesthetic overdose, stop Alfaxan Multidose administration and administer treatment as indicated by the patient's clinical signs.  Cardiovascular depression should be treated with plasma expanders, pressor agents, anti-arrhythmic agents or other techniques as appropriate for the treatment of the clinical signs.