Brachial plexus block in a red howler monkey (Alouatta guariba): case report

ABSTRACT The regional blocks are being exploited and disseminated on a daily basis of veterinary medicine. This study describes the implementation of the brachial plexus block in a red howler-monkey (Alouatta guariba) that underwent amputation of three digits. Ropivacaine was employed for blocking, with the patient under general anesthesia, with the aid of a peripheral nerve stimulator. Four hours after surgery, and five hours after the blockade, the patient had no discomfort nor avoided manipulation of the operated limb and no complications were observed. The brachial plexus block is most commonly used when you want to promote analgesia and muscle relaxation of the forelimb in distal surgical procedures to the scapular-humeral joint. There is a lack of anatomical studies on various primates, including the red howler-monkey (Alouatta guariba). Despite the growing expansion of clinic of wild animals, there are still shortcomings with regards to the implementation of anesthetic techniques in many species.

摘要：区域阻滞技术在兽医学领域的日常应用与推广正日趋普及。本研究报道了1例接受3指截肢术的红吼猴（Alouatta guariba）实施臂丛神经阻滞（brachial plexus block）的过程。本次阻滞采用罗哌卡因（ropivacaine），患猴在全身麻醉状态下，借助外周神经刺激器（peripheral nerve stimulator）完成操作。术后4小时、阻滞后5小时，患猴未表现出不适，未出现躲避术肢被触碰的情况，且未观察到任何并发症。臂丛神经阻滞最常用于肩肱关节远端手术中，以实现前肢的镇痛与肌肉松弛。目前针对包括红吼猴（Alouatta guariba）在内的多种灵长类动物的解剖学研究仍存在不足。尽管野生动物临床诊疗领域正不断拓展，但针对诸多物种的麻醉技术应用仍存在诸多短板。