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Pharmacokinetics, placental transfer, and neonatal effects of vecuronium and pancuronium administered during cesarean section.

Vecuronium and pancuronium were compared for placental transfer, pharmacokinetic variables, and neonatal effects during cesarean section under general anesthesia. Eighteen women underwent rapid-sequence intravenous induction using d-tubocurarine, succinylcholine, thiopental, and oxygen. Immediately after tracheal intubation, an intravenous injection of vecuronium (n = 11) or pancuronium (n = 7), 0.04 mg/kg, was given. Maternal venous blood samples were obtained before induction and at frequent intervals for 4 h after administration of vecuronium or pancuronium. Also, maternal venous and umbilical-cord arterial and venous blood samples were obtained at delivery. To describe placental transfer and maternal pharmacokinetics of the drugs, serum drug concentrations were determined using single-ion-monitoring mass spectrometry. The Apgar score and Neurologic and Adaptive Capacity Score (NACS) were used to evaluate neonatal condition. Both drugs crossed the placenta, as demonstrated by low concentrations of vecuronium (8.5-26.4 ng/ml) or pancuronium (12.2-34.2 ng/ml) found in umbilical venous blood. At delivery, the ratio of the drug concentration in umbilical venous blood to that in maternal venous blood was 0.11 +/- 0.02 for vecuronium and 0.19 +/- 0.03 for pancuronium. Vecuronium had a more rapid clearance (6.4 +/- 0.4 ml X kg-1 X min-1, mean +/- SE) and a shorter elimination half-life (36 +/- 1.8 min) than pancuronium (3.0 +/- 0.1 ml X kg-1 X min-1 and 72 +/- 6 min, respectively). No other pharmacokinetic differences were found between the drugs. Neonatal outcome was not affected adversely by either muscle relaxant, as assessed by Apgar scores and NACSs . The short duration of action, the minimal placental transfer, and the apparent lack of clinical neuromuscular effects on the newborn suggest that vecuronium should be a useful muscle relaxant for cesarean section.

Adult↗

Differential effects of pancuronium on masseter and adductor pollicis muscles in humans.

The sensitivity of the masseter, one of the muscles of the upper airway, to pancuronium was measured in ten adults undergoing elective surgery and compared with that of the adductor pollicis. During thiopental-nitrous oxide-enflurane (end-tidal concentration less than 0.25%) anesthesia, supramaximal nerve stimulation was applied to the ulnar nerve at the elbow and to the nerve to the masseter, at a point inferior to the zygomatic arch, anterior to the mandibular condyle. Jaw closure was measured by a force transducer system attached to both an oral airway and a metal frame fixed to the operating table 10 cm caudad to the chin. Cumulative dose-response curves for pancuronium (initial dose = 0.02 mg/kg, incremental doses = 0.01 mg/kg) were determined. Control twitch tensions were (mean +/- SEM) 473 +/- 75 g at the masseter and 660 +/- 118 g at the adductor pollicis. The masseter was slightly more sensitive to pancuronium, the ED50 being 0.024 +/- 0.001 mg/kg compared with 0.028 +/- 0.001 mg/kg for the adductor pollicis (P less than 0.05). Corresponding values for the ED90 were 0.038 +/- 0.004 and 0.043 +/- 0.002 mg/kg, respectively (P less than 0.05). The time from injection of the first dose of pancuronium to maximum blockade was 3.2 +/- 0.2 min at the masseter and 3.8 +/- 0.2 min at the adductor pollicis (P less than 0.01). Following incremental doses, this time was 1.8 +/- 0.1 and 2.6 +/- 0.1 min, respectively (P less than 0.01). It is concluded that after injection of pancuronium, neuromuscular blockade is greater at the masseter and occurs sooner than at the adductor pollicis. Jaw relaxation can be achieved with relatively small doses of pancuronium. This suggests that return of adductor pollicis function may not imply complete masseter muscle recovery.

Adult↗

Ventilatory compliance after three sufentanil-pancuronium induction sequences.

Poor ventilatory compliance, a predictable side effect of high-dose opioid induction techniques, is purportedly blunted by pretreatment with nondepolarizing muscle relaxant. This study used both total compliance and a subjective compliance score to compare three different sequences of opioid induction using a 2-min infusion of sufentanil 3 micrograms.kg-1. Nineteen patients in each of three groups received a total of 100 micrograms.kg-1 of pancuronium, in the following randomized double-blinded fashion: control, all pancuronium 1 min after sufentanil; pretreated, 1 mg pancuronium 1 min before sufentanil and the balance of pancuronium 1 min after sufentanil; and mixed, all pancuronium mixed with sufentanil. Topical lidocaine prior to induction permitted early oral airway insertion midway through the sufentanil infusion. Immediately at the conclusion of sufentanil infusion, a tightly fitted mask, anterior jaw thrust, and mechanical ventilator permitted measurement of plateau airway pressure and exhaled volume in five replicates. Pressure and volume measurements were repeated 5 min later. Total compliance was calculated as the median plateau airway pressure divided into its associated exhaled volume. Groups did not differ in demographics. In one control patient and two pretreated patients hemoglobin oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry decreased below 90%. Immediately after sufentanil infusion, the total compliance for control patients of 4.1 ml.cmH2O-1 (mean [2.6-6.5, 95% confidence interval] ) did not differ from that of the pretreated group (6.3 [3.5-11.4] ml.cmH2O-1), but the mixed group exhibited higher compliance (40.3 [33.8-47.9] ml.cmH2O-1) than the other groups (P less than 10(-8]. All groups achieved similar total compliances several minutes after a total of 100 micrograms.kg-1 pancuronium had been administered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anesthesia, Intravenous↗

Paralysis in the critically ill: intermittent bolus pancuronium compared with continuous infusion.

OBJECTIVES: To compare recovery times from neuromuscular blockade between two groups of critically ill patients in whom pancuronium was administered by continuous infusion or intermittent bolus injection. To compare the mean pancuronium requirements (milligrams per kilogram per hour) and to assess the incidence of prolonged recovery times (>12 hrs) and residual muscle weakness. DESIGN: Prospective, observational cohort. SETTING: Intensive care unit in a university-affiliated hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 30 mechanically ventilated patients who required pharmacologic paralysis. Patients were excluded if they had renal failure (creatinine clearance <30 mL/min), heart rate >130 beats/min, hepatic failure, peripheral nerve disease or myopathy, stroke, spinal cord damage, or myasthenia gravis. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were assigned to receive pancuronium either by continuous infusion (n = 14) or intermittent bolus (n = 16). Depth of paralysis was titrated to maintain one or two responses to Train-of-Four stimulation with an accelerograph and desired clinical goals. Recovery time was defined as time from discontinuation of muscle relaxant until the amplitude of the fourth twitch, measured every 15-30 min using an accelerograph, was 70% the amplitude of the first twitch (Train-of-Four > or = 0.7). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: These patients included the only three patients with status asthmaticus in our study. The groups were similar with respect to age, sex, weight, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, mode of ventilation, creatinine clearance, indications for paralysis, and duration of pancuronium administration. The median time for patients to recover from paralysis was 3.5 hrs (95% confidence interval, 1.82-5.18) in the infusion group vs. 6.3 hrs (95% confidence interval, 3.40-9.19) in the intermittent bolus group (p = .10). Less drug was administered in the intermittent group (mean, 0.02+/-0.01 mg/kg/hr) than by infusion (mean, 0.04+/-0.01 mg/kg/hr; p < .001). Six patients (five in the infusion group and one in the intermittent group) developed persistent severe muscle weakness. In addition, six different patients (three from each group) had prolonged recovery >12 hrs. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that recovery time after paralysis with continuous infusion is faster than that after intermittent bolus injection. Although more pancuronium was administered in the continuous-infusion group, recovery time was not prolonged as a consequence. It is uncertain whether pancuronium given by infusion increases the risk of persistent muscle weakness.

APACHE↗

Time course of action of combinations of vecuronium and pancuronium.

Vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg, pancuronium 0.1 mg/kg, vecuronium 0.075 mg/kg + pancuronium 0.025 mg/kg, vecuronium + pancuronium 0.05 mg/kg each and vecuronium 0.025 mg/kg + pancuronium 0.075 mg/kg were compared with respect to time taken to onset of effect, duration of clinical relaxation and intubation conditions in five groups of 20 patients each. The time to onset and intubating conditions were similar in all the groups, indicating that the combinations have no advantage over the individual drugs. The duration of clinical relaxation was 25 minutes with vecuronium, and increased as the proportion of pancuronium in the mixture increased, being 56 minutes with pancuronium 0.1 mg/kg.

Adolescent↗

Cervico-thoracic epidural anaesthesia blunts pancuronium-induced increase in heart rate in humans.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of cervico-thoracic epidural anaesthesia upon pancuronium-induced tachycardia in surgical patients. In the control (no blockade) group (n = 8) and the lumbar epidural group (n = 8), pancuronium produced significant increases in heart rate (P < 0.01 and P < 0.01, respectively) and no significant changes in mean arterial pressure. In the cervico-thoracic epidural group (n = 8), no increase in heart rate and a significant decrease in mean arterial pressure were seen following pancuronium. The lack of an increase in heart rate following pancuronium with cervico-thoracic epidural anaesthesia might be due to cardiac sympathetic denervation. The authors concluded that tachycardia after pancuronium administration was attenuated by cervico-thoracic epidural anaesthesia in humans and that the pancuronium-induced tachycardia seemed to be a cardiac sympathomimetic effect.

Adult↗

Muscarinic receptor inhibition and other effects of pancuronium in the rabbit ear artery preparation.

The effect of pancuronium in the rabbit ear artery was investigated in order to measure the inhibition it produces at the prejunctional muscarinic receptor on sympathetic nerve endings in this tissue. Pancuronium (0.1-0.2 mmol/l) produced an enhancement of responses to transmural electrical stimulation but this effect was absent in experiments conducted in the presence of cocaine (10 mumol/l) suggesting that an inhibition of the uptake1 mechanism occurs with pancuronium in this tissue. Pancuronium (10 mumol/l) in the presence of cocaine (10 mumol/l) and yohimbine (1 mumol/l) caused a small transient increase in resting output of tritium from arteries preincubated with 3H-noradrenaline but did not affect stimulated output of tritium nor the perfusion pressure in perfused preparations. Pancuronium in the presence of cocaine or cocaine plus yohimbine caused a parallel shift of the concentration-response curve for the inhibitory effect of carbachol (CCh) on the increase in perfusion pressure induced by nervous stimulation. An Arunlakshana-Schild plot of the data was linear but the slopes of 0.92 and 0.95 respectively, were significantly different from unity (P less than 0.05). The calculated pKB value suggests that pancuronium has a different affinity for prejunctional muscarinic receptors on sympathetic nerve endings in this tissue compared to that previously reported in cardiac or ileal smooth muscle.

Animals↗

Effects of pancuronium and hexamethonium on paraoxon-induced twitch potentiation and antidromic firing in rat phrenic nerve diaphragm preparations.

The actions of pancuronium, a selective antagonist of acetylcholine (ACh) at nicotinic cholinoceptors at motor endplates, and hexamethonium, a selective antagonist of ACh at nicotinic cholinoceptors in autonomic ganglia, have been studied in rat phrenic nerve diaphragm preparations. The effects on paraoxon-induced twitch potentiation and antidromic firing (ADF) in the phrenic nerve, were compared with the effects on normal twitch tension and intracellularly recorded miniature endplate potentials (m.e.p.ps) and endplate potentials (e.p.ps.) In preparations exposed to paraoxon, pancuronium was found to be approximately 10 times more effective in reducing the potentiated component of the twitch than the component which corresponded to the pre-paraoxon twitch. A similar result was obtained with hexamethonium. Pancuronium and hexamethonium, in concentrations which reduced paraoxon-induced twitch potentiation but had no effect on the twitch tension of preparations not treated with paraoxon, reduced paraoxon-induced ADF. The lowest concentrations of pancuronium and hexamethonium required for this also reduced the amplitude of m.e.p.ps and e.p.ps. Dithiothreitol, a disulphide bond reducing agent which reduces the affinity of ACh for nicotinic cholinoceptors, enhanced the potency of pancuronium 2 to 3 fold. The same also applied for hexamethonium. It is concluded that the experiments failed to provide evidence for an action of ACh on prejunctional nicotinic cholinoceptors of the ganglionic-type being involved in the initiation by paraoxon of twitch potentiation and ADF. Furthermore, the results obtained can be explained by pancuronium and hexamethonium reducing the action of ACh at the postjunctional membrane.

Animals↗

Extracellular pancuronium affects sodium current in chick embryo sensory neurones.

1. The action of pancuronium on transmembrane sodium conductance was investigated in dorsal root ganglion neurones of chick embryos. The Na+ current was measured by use of the patch-clamp technique in whole-cell configuration. 2. Externally perfused pancuronium (50 microM to 1 mM) reversibly inhibited the current by a fast mechanism of action. Inhibition was concentration-dependent (with a half-effective dose of 170 microM) but not voltage-dependent. 3. The activation and inactivation kinetics of the Na+ current were estimated in pancuronium and in control solution by fitting experimental data with a Hodgkin-Huxley theoretical model. 4. The activation time constant tau m, at negative membrane voltages, was larger in the presence of pancuronium than in the control. In contrast, the inactivation time constant tau h was smaller during drug perfusion at membrane voltages < -10 mV. The steady-state inactivation h infinity was not affected by pancuronium. 5. These results suggest that pancuronium may reduce the sodium current by interacting with the sodium channels in both the resting and open states.

Animals↗

Respiratory depressant and skeletal muscle relaxant effects of low-dose pancuronium bromide in spontaneously breathing, isoflurane-anesthetized dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare the respiratory depressant and skeletal muscle relaxant effects of two low doses of a nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocker, pancuronium bromide. To determine if a "low dose" of pancuronium bromide can produce selective skeletal muscle relaxation in extraocular muscles sufficient to perform intraocular surgery while sparing or minimizing depression of muscles of ventilation. STUDY DESIGN: Blinded, randomized crossover, placebo controlled study. ANIMALS: Six healthy, adult mongrel dogs weighing 20.8 +/- 1.9 kg. METHODS: Spontaneously breathing, isoflurane-anesthetized dogs received 0.02 mg/kg pancuronium bromide, intravenously (i.v.), (high dose [HD]), 0.01 mg/kg pancuronium bromide, i.v., (low dose [LD]), or saline placebo i.v. in a blinded, randomized crossover study. Indices of patient ventilation including tidal volume (Vt), respiratory rate (RR), and minute ventilation (VE) were recorded throughout the study period. Serial arterial blood gas analyses were performed at timed intervals. Neuromuscular blockade of skeletal muscle was assessed at timed intervals with train-of-four stimulus/response ratios. Eye position scores, based on the degree of ocular rotation from a neutral gaze axis, were assigned by an ophthalmologist who was blinded to the treatment given. RESULTS: VT and VE in HD dogs decreased by 82% from baseline after administration of pancuronium bromide. Similarly, Vt and VE in LD dogs decreased 40% and 55%, respectively. Decreased ventilation in HD dogs corresponded with significant (P< .05) neuromuscular blockade, as indicated by train-of-four ratio less than 75% between 0 and 60 minutes. Eye position scores in HD and LD dogs were suitable for intraocular surgery between 0 and 60 minutes. Eye position scores in five of six control dogs were unsuitable for intraocular surgery at any time period. CONCLUSIONS: LD dogs experienced only transient, mild to moderate respiratory depression compared with HD dogs, which experienced prolonged, moderate to severe respiratory depression. Both LD and HD dogs acquired and maintained eye position scores suitable for intraocular surgery between 0 to 60 minutes. A "low dose" of pancuronium bromide, which would provide adequate extraocular muscle relaxation while minimizing ventilatory depression, was not identified. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: All patients receiving any dose of neuromuscular blocking agents should be closely monitored and receive ventilatory assistance as needed.

Anesthesia, Inhalation↗

Prolonged neuromuscular blockade with pancuronium in the presence of acute renal failure: a case report.

Prolongation of neuromuscular block following pancuronium administration to anephric patients has been reported. A patient is described whose postoperative course after resection of gangrenous bowel was complicated by acute renal failure and prolonged neuromuscular blockade. A large intraoperative dose of pancuronium was administered without monitoring neuromuscular transmission with a peripheral nerve stimulator. The course was further complicated by administration of gentamicin, an antibiotic known to potentiate neuromuscular blocking drugs. Complete return of neuromuscular transmission occurred 60 hours after administration of last dose of pancuronium and subsequent to peritoneal dialysis. After rapid distribution from plasma, pancuronium, like curare, is eliminated by the renal pathway. The absence of renal excretion considerably increases the duration of action of curare when given in high doses. It has been suggested that doses of pancuronium greater than 3.6 mg/sq m or multiple doses would result in prolonged neuromuscular block in patients without renal function. The case reported illustrates the importance of monitoring neuromuscular transmission during administration of pancuronium in the presence of renal insufficiency to avoid this complication.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

Effects of succinylcholine on the pharmacodynamics of pipecuronium and pancuronium.

To study the effects of succinylcholine on subsequent pharmacodynamics of nondepolarizing muscle relaxants, a comparative pharmacodynamic study was carried out in patients having balanced anesthesia (thiopental, fentanyl, nitrous oxide/oxygen) in whom equipotent doses of pipecuronium (80 micrograms/kg) and pancuronium (100 micrograms/kg) were given with or without prior administration of succinylcholine (1 mg/kg). Fifty-two patients were randomly assigned to one of the following four groups: 1, pancuronium (100 micrograms/kg); 2, pipecuronium (80 micrograms/kg); 3, succinylcholine (1 mg/kg) plus pancuronium (100 micrograms/kg); and 4, succinylcholine (1 mg/kg) plus pipecuronium (80 micrograms/kg). In groups 3 and 4, the nondepolarizing relaxant was given after succinylcholine when the twitch height recovered to 75% of its control value. For maintenance of neuromuscular blockade, additional increments of pancuronium (20 micrograms/kg) or pipecuronium (15 micrograms/kg) were given. Neuromuscular function was monitored throughout induction, maintenance, spontaneous recovery, and pharmacologic reversal of the neuromuscular block. Mean onset times for pancuronium (group 1) and pipecuronium (group 2) given without succinylcholine were (mean +/- SEM) 2.5 +/- 0.3 and 2.8 +/- 0.2 min, respectively. Mean onset times (times to maximum twitch depression) of the two drugs given after succinylcholine (groups 3 and 4) were significantly shorter (1.4 +/- 0.4 and 1.6 +/- 0.1 min, respectively). Clinical durations (i.e., until 25% twitch recovery of pancuronium and pipecuronium) were not significantly different among the four groups, varying from 81.1 +/- 5.4 (group 4) to 107.0 +/- 17.0 (group 2) min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Recovery from pancuronium and vecuronium administered simultaneously in the isolated forearm and the effect on recovery following administration after cross-over of drugs.

If recovery of neuromuscular block in the isolated arm is determined by biophase binding, then a significant amount of drug will still be present in the biophase at 50% recovery of twitch response. To test this hypothesis we administered pancuronium at 50% recovery from vecuronium block and vecuronium at 50% recovery from pancuronium block in the isolated forearms of volunteers. To ensure that any effect of drug released into the plasma did not affect the results, both experiments were performed simultaneously, one in each forearm of each volunteer. Control experiments were performed to determine the effect of subsequent injections of the same drug at 50% recovery and of subsequent injections of the alternative drug (i.e., vecuronium following pancuronium and pancuronium following vecuronium) at 100% recovery of the twitch response. Prior administration of vecuronium significantly shortened the recovery from subsequent pancuronium when administered at 50% recovery, but not 100% recovery, and pancuronium significantly increased the recovery rate of vecuronium when given at 50% recovery but not 100% recovery. These findings support the concept of biophase binding of nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs.

Anesthesia Recovery Period↗

Pharmacokinetics of pancuronium in patients undergoing coronary artery surgery with and without low dose dopamine.

Pancuronium is frequently used in coronary artery surgery, but its pharmacokinetics in these patients are still unknown. It is possible that dopamine, administered to prevent renal impairment induced by the surgery, might promote the elimination of pancuronium. Therefore, the pharmacokinetics of a bolus dose of pancuronium were studied in 2 groups of coronary artery surgery patients, with and without dopamine 2 micrograms/kg/min, administered during and after cardiopulmonary bypass. Dopamine in the administered dose did not influence the systemic haemodynamics. The pharmacokinetic variables in both groups did not differ from those found in an earlier study in healthy normothermic patients. Total renal clearance was not influenced by dopamine, due to post-bypass rebound hyperperfusion in the control group. Pancuronium was shown to be subject to considerable tubular reabsorption, and its elimination was found to be increased during hypothermia. Dopamine increases pancuronium elimination by an increase in glomerular filtration rate. The dopamine-induced decrease in tubular solute reabsorption did not enhance the elimination of pancuronium.

Adult↗

Postoperative residual paralysis and respiratory status: a comparative study of pancuronium and vecuronium.

The objective of this prospective double-blind study was to determine whether postoperative residual paralysis (PORP) after pancuronium or vecuronium results in hypoxemia and hypercapnia in the immediate admission period to the recovery ward. Eighty-three consecutive surgical patients received balanced or intravenous anesthesia with pancuronium for operations lasting longer than one hour or vecuronium for those lasting less than 60 min, both combined with neostigmine at the end of anesthesia. Standard clinical criteria assessed neuromuscular function intraoperatively. Postoperatively, we determined neuromuscular function (acceleromyography with supramaximal train-of-four (TOF) stimulation of the ulnar nerve, and a 5-s head lift) and pulmonary function (pulse oximetry: SpO2, and blood gas analysis: SaO2, PaCO2). We defined PORP as a TOF-ratio <70%, hypoxemia as a postoperative SpO2 > or =5% below the pre-anesthestic level together with a postoperative SaO2 <93%, and hypercapnia as a PaCO2 > or =46 mm Hg. Among the 49 pancuronium and 27 vecuronium patients studied, the PORP rates were 20% in the pancuronium group and 7% in the vecuronium group (p>0.05). Hypoxemia and hypercapnia occurred more often in pancuronium patients with PORP than in those without PORP namely 60% vs. 10% (p<0.05) and 30% vs. 8% (p>0.05), respectively. We conclude that PORP after pancuronium is a significant risk factor for hypoxemia.

Double-Blind Method↗

Comparative pharmacokinetics and dynamics of vecuronium and pancuronium in anesthetized patients.

Plasma concentrations and the degree of neuromuscular blockade after a 2-min infusion of 0.1 mg/kg of vecuronium bromide or pancuronium bromide (equipotent doses) were studied in 12 gynecologic patients. The plasma concentrations of both drugs declined in a triphasic manner. The difference between the intercepts and rate constants of the two drugs was not significant. Vecuronium was removed faster from the plasma than pancuronium; this was reflected in a significantly larger plasma clearance rate for vecuronium (4 ml X min-1 X kg-1 vs 1.1 ml X min-1 X kg-1 for pancuronium). The effective plasma concentrations at 50% recovery of the twitch height were 0.11 +/- 0.02 (vecuronium) and 0.2 +/- 0.03 microgram/ml (pancuronium). The disposition kinetics were adequately described by a three-compartment model. An effect compartment was added to the model to correlate the neuromuscular effects and plasma concentrations of both drugs. The ratio between concentrations of vecuronium and pancuronium in the effect compartment at 50% twitch height was 0.83. In spite of its greater potency, vecuronium has a shorter duration of action than pancuronium.

Adult↗

Accelerated onset of non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs: pancuronium, atracurium and vecuronium. A comparison with succinylcholine.

The time of onset and degree of neuromuscular blockade (NMB) in 80 anaesthetized patients, following either a single bolus injection of pancuronium 0.95 mg kg-1, atracurium 0.53 mg kg-1 or vecuronium 0.07 mg kg-1, or divided doses of pancuronium 0.15 mg kg-1, atracurium 0.07 mg kg-1 or vecuronium 0.01 mg kg-1 administered 3 min or 5 min before the second dose of pancuronium 0.08 mg kg-1, atracurium 0.46 mg kg-1 or vecuronium 0.06 mg kg-1, were determined and compared to the same parameters measured following succinylcholine administration (1 mg kg-1). The time to maximum NMB (100%) following the administration of succinylcholine was 58.1 +/- 5.3 s, whereas the time to maximum NMB (100%) following a single bolus injection of either pancuronium, atracurium or vecuronium was 130.6 +/- 22.2, 93.0 +/- 6.4, 127.5 +/- 13.0 s, respectively. These values for time to maximum NMB are significantly longer than the time required for succinylcholine to achieve maximal blockade. The time to attain maximum NMB following divided doses of pancuronium, atracurium or vecuronium separated by 3 min decreased significantly to 77.9 +/- 4.3, 77.5 +/- 7.6, 89.0 +/- 8.6 s, respectively. However, when the two doses of drug were separated by 5 min, only small, non-significant further decreases occurred in the time required to achieve maximum blockade. Although the time to maximum NMB following divided doses of pancuronium, atracurium or vecuronium is significantly longer than that for succinylcholine, divided dosing significantly decreases the time required to reach maximal NMB.

Adolescent↗

Pancuronium rapid induction sequence.

Succinylcholine is traditionally used as the muscle relaxant of choice for rapid induction sequence intubation. There are, however, many absolute and relative contraindications for the use of succinylcholine necessitating the need for an alternative muscle relaxant. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of pancuronium bromide for muscle relaxation in the rapid induction sequence in comparison to succinylcholine. A double-blind study was undertaken in 90 patients divided into two groups: One group was intubated at 60 seconds and the other at 90 seconds. Each group was divided into four subgroups by random selection and received of the following regimens: (a) succinylcholine, 1.5 mg/kg preceded by 3 mg of d-tubocurarine; (b) pancuronium bromide, 0.1 mg/kg; (c) pancuronium bromide, 0.125 mg/kg; and (d) pancuronium bromide, 0.15 mg/kg as relaxants in rapid sequence intubation. A rapid sequence intubation was performed with each intubation by a staff member or experienced house officer. Pre- and postinduction blood pressure and heart rate were taken. Postinduction blood gases were taken. The times to completion of intubation were recorded. Cord position, ease of intubation and overall relaxation were evaluated. The results indicate that in experienced hands pancuronium bromide in a dose of 0.1-0.15 mg/kg is as an effective muscle relaxant for rapid induction sequence intubation as is succinylcholine. It is an acceptable alternative when succinylcholine is contraindicated. Intubating conditions are best 90 seconds after the administration of pancuronium bromide.

Adolescent↗