Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 56, Issue 2 533-535, Copyright © 1984 by American Physiological Society
Laryngoscopic endotracheal intubation of rats for inhalation anesthesia
C. F. Schaefer, D. J. Brackett, P. Downs, P. Tompkins and M. F. Wilson
Endotracheal intubation of the rat under direct vision is described
together with the details of procedures and apparatus for conducting
inhalation anesthesia in this species. Our intubation method requires no
special manufacture of equipment, because it employs the human laryngoscope
equipped with an infant blade (size 0). Using inhalation anesthetics such
as enflurane or halothane for induction, clear laryngoscopic visualization
of the glottis is reliably obtained, allowing rapid and routine intubation
of the rat in a highly predictable amount of time. In contrast, the
injected anesthetics such as ketamine or pentobarbital sodium seem unsuited
to laryngoscopic intubation as a result of problems of variable induction
times, copious oral secretions, and strong pharyngeal-laryngeal reflexes.
