Neuromuscular effects of rocuronium in patients receiving beta-adrenoreceptor blocking, calcium entry blocking and anticonvulsant drugs.

We have studied the onset and duration of action of rocuronium 0.6 mg kg-1 in patients receiving therapy for more than 1 month with beta-receptor blocking drugs (n = 16), calcium entry blocking drugs (n = 17) or anticonvulsant drugs (n = 14) and compared these data with those from a control group (n = 27). Anaesthesia comprised fentanyl, propofol infusion and nitrous oxide in oxygen. Neuromuscular block was monitored by measuring the force of contraction of the adductor pollicis muscle in response to train-of-four (TOF) stimulation. There were no significant differences in onset times between the four groups (mean 62-76 s). Mean times to 25% recovery of T1 (first response in the TOF) and of the TOF ratio of 0.7 were 38 (SD 15) and 58 (22) min, 36 (8) and 61 (19) min, 40 (11) and 68 (22) min, and 25 (6) and 35 (9) min in the control, beta-blocker, calcium entry blocker and anticonvulsant groups, respectively (P < 0.01 between the anticonvulsant and other groups). We conclude that chronic therapy with anticonvulsant drugs reduces the duration of action of rocuronium.

A comparison of the effects of isoflurane and desflurane on the neuromuscular effects of mivacurium.

The effects of 1 MAC of desflurane and isoflurane (in 66% nitrous oxide) on the potency and duration of action of mivacurium were studied in 80 patients. The ED95 of mivacurium was 86 micrograms.kg-1 (74-100) and 88 micrograms.kg-1 (76-103) (mean and 95% confidence intervals) during anaesthesia with desflurane and isoflurane respectively. The onset and duration of recovery to 25, 75 and 90% of T1 (first response in the TOF) of 200 micrograms.kg-1 of mivacurium were 1.4 (0.3) and 1.5 (0.3) min (mean and SD), 22 (4.9) and 19 (4.0), 29 (6.6) and 26 (5.8), and 32 (7.3) and 29 (6.6) min respectively. There was no significant difference in any of the variables between desflurane and isoflurane. It is concluded that the neuromuscular effects of mivacurium are similar during anaesthesia with 1 MAC of desflurane and isoflurane.

The TOF-Guard neuromuscular transmission monitor. A comparison with the Myograph 2000.

The TOF-Guard neuromuscular monitor uses an accelerometer to measure the response to nerve stimulation. In this study, we have compared it to a standard mechanomyographic monitor, the Myograph 2000, for neuromuscular monitoring in 28 subjects. A train-of-four mode of stimulation was used in both cases. The times taken for onset of block, and for the recovery of T1 (the first response in the train of four) to 25% of control, the time from recovery of T1 from 25-75% and for the recovery of the train of four ratio to 0.7 were compared with the two monitors. There was a good correlation between the two devices for both onset and recovery times. However, differences were highlighted when the data were analysed by the method of Bland and Altman. The 95% limits of agreement for the T1 recovery to 25%, as measured by the TOF-Guard, ranged from 5 min less to 8 min more than when measured by the Myograph 2000. For recovery of the train of four ratio to 0.7, the limits of agreement were approximately 6 min in either direction. The 95% limits for the TOF-Guard measured train of four ratio were from 0.47 to 0.99, at the Myograph reading of 0.7. We recommend that information from the TOF-Guard and the Myograph 2000 should not be used interchangeably. However, the TOF-Guard is likely to improve considerably on tactile evaluation of the responses to stimulation.

Nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs and train-of-four fade.

The aim of this study was to examine differences in prejunctional effects of different relaxants by measuring the train-of-four (TOF) fade during the onset and recovery of neuromuscular block. The relaxants studied were atracurium (225 micrograms.kg-1), mivacurium (65 micrograms.kg-1) rocuronium (300 micrograms.kg-1) and vecuronium (40 micrograms.kg-1). The TOF ratios were measured at approximate heights of T1 (first response in the TOF) of 90, 75, 50, and 25%. The TOF fade (as shown by lower TOF ratios) increased with a decrease in the T1 during onset of neuromuscular block. Although there was a slightly greater fade with atracurium and rocuronium during the onset of block, the differences among the relaxants were insignificant. It is concluded that the relative prejunctional effects of these relaxants are similar.

Antagonism of mivacurium block with edrophonium from various degrees of spontaneous recovery.

Seventy adult patients received mivacurium 0.15 mg kg-1 during anaesthesia with thiopentone, nitrous oxide and 0.5% halothane. Neuromuscular block was monitored using mechanomyography and train-of-four stimulation. Edrophonium 0.75 mg kg-1 was administered 5 or 10 min after mivacurium, or when the first response in the TOF (T1) had recovered to 5, 10, 25 or 50% of control in groups of 10 patients each. A control group was allowed to recover spontaneously. The mean time taken from administration of mivacurium to attaining a TOF ratio of 0.7 was between 19.3 and 24.9 min in the groups given edrophonium, regardless of the time of administration, compared with 26.7 min in the spontaneous recovery group. The differences, however, were not significant among the groups showing little advantage in antagonizing mivacurium block.

The influence of the duration of control stimulation on the onset and recovery of neuromuscular block.

The onset of action of atracurium 450 micrograms/kg, mivacurium 160 micrograms/kg, and vecuronium 80 micrograms/kg was measured after train-of-four (TOF) stimulation had been applied for 1, 5, 10, 15, or 20 min in groups of 10 patients each during anesthesia with thiopental, nitrous oxide-oxygen, and fentanyl. TOF stimulation was applied to the ulnar nerve at 2 Hz every 12 s and the force of contraction of the adductor pollicis muscle recorded. There was a progressive and significant reduction in the time to onset of maximum block with increasing times of control stimulation with all three relaxants (P < 0.0001). The mean +/- SD times to onset of maximum block decreased from 224 +/- 103 to 73 +/- 28 s with atracurium, 239 +/- 81 to 101 +/- 33 s with vecuronium, and 198 +/- 72 to 106 +/- 23 s with mivacurium as the period of control stimulation increased from 1 to 20 min. The time to recovery of T1 (first response in the TOF stimulation) to 25% of control (duration of clinical relaxation) increased from 33 +/- 5.7 to 52 +/- 13.4 min with atracurium, 25 +/- 7.6 to 38 +/- 9.4 min with vecuronium, and 13 +/- 2.5 to 18 +/- 3.5 min with mivacurium with the period of control stimulation increasing from 1 to 20 min. The differences were significant for atracurium and vecuronium (P < 0.05-0.0001). We conclude that increasing periods of control stimulation are associated with decreasing time to onset of neuromuscular block with atracurium, vecuronium, and mivacurium at the adductor pollicis muscle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)