Evaluation of the use of pentazocine in combination with diazepam and ketamine for surgical anaesthesia in rabbits

The effect of pentazocine on diazepam/ketamine anaesthesia was evaluated in this study. Pentazocine (10 mg/kg) was administered intramuscularly (im) prior to injection of diazepam (2 mg/kg, iv) and ketamine (15 mg/kg, im) in pentazocine /diazepam/ketamine (P/D/K) group. In the diazepam/ketamine group, anaesthesia was induced using diazepam (2 mg/kg, iv) and ketamine (15 mg/kg, im). All rabbits were laparotomized after induction of anaesthesia. Intra operatively, anaesthetic indices, physiologic variables and pain responses of rabbits were studied. Blood glucose and serum cortisol of rabbits were monitored post laparotomy. The durations of analgesia and anaesthesia were significantly shorter (p<0.05) in the P/D/K group. Respiratory rates of P/D/K group were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of D/K group. Pain scores of P/D/K group were significantly higher (p<0.05) than scores obtained in D/K group. At 30 and 90 minutes post laparotomy, blood glucose and serum cortisol of P/D/K group were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of D/K group. This study showed that pentazocine/diazepam/ketamine drug combination did not produce surgical anaesthesia in rabbits.