Sevothesia

Inspired Concentration: The delivered concentration of SEVOTHESIA should be known. Since the depth of anesthesia may be altered easily and rapidly, only vaporizers producing predictable percentage concentrations of sevoflurane should be used. Sevoflurane should be vaporized using a precision vaporizer specifically calibrated for sevoflurane. Sevoflurane contains no stabilizer. Nothing in the drug product alters calibration or operation of these vaporizers. The administration of general anesthesia must be individualized based on the patient’s response. WHEN USING SEVOFLURANE, PATIENTS SHOULD BE CONTINUOUSLY MONITORED AND FACILITIES FOR MAINTENANCE OF PATENT AIRWAY, ARTIFICIAL VENTILATION, AND OXYGEN SUPPLEMENTATION MUST BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE.

Replacement of Desiccated CO2 Absorbents: When a clinician suspects that the CO2 absorbent may be desiccated, it should be replaced. An exothermic reaction occurs when sevoflurane is exposed to CO2 absorbents. This reaction is increased when the CO2 absorbent becomes desiccated (see PRECAUTIONS).

Premedication: No specific premedication is either indicated or contraindicated with sevoflurane. The necessity for and choice of premedication is left to the discretion of the veterinarian. Preanesthetic doses for premedicants may be lower than the label directions for their use as a single medication.1

Induction: For mask induction using sevoflurane alone, inspired concentrations of up to 7% sevoflurane with oxygen are employed to induce surgical anesthesia in the healthy dog. These concentrations can be expected to produce surgical anesthesia in 3 to 14 minutes. Due to the rapid and dose dependent changes in anesthetic depth, care should be taken to prevent overdosing. Respiration must be monitored closely in the dog and supported when necessary with supplemental oxygen and/or assisted ventilation.

Maintenance: SEVOTHESIA may be used for maintenance anesthesia following mask induction using sevoflurane or following injectable induction agents. The concentration of vapor necessary to maintain anesthesia is much less than that required to induce it.

Surgical levels of anesthesia in the healthy dog may be maintained with inhaled concentrations of 3.7-4.0% sevoflurane in oxygen in the absence of premedication and 3.3-3.6% in the presence of premedication. The use of injectable induction agents without premedication has little effect on the concentrations of sevoflurane required for maintenance. Anesthetic regimens that include opioid, alpha2- agonist, benzodiazepine or phenothiazine premedication will allow the use of lower sevoflurane maintenance concentrations.