Clinical Consideration in the Rational Use of Neuromuscular Blocking Drugs.

tracheal intubation without the use of neuromuscular blocking agents

Anaphylaxis to neuromuscular-blocking drugs: all neuromuscular-blocking drugs are not the same.

5 January 2015 I n the current issue of Anesthesiology, Reddy et al.1 report a two-hospital, retrospective, observational, cohort study confirming that anaphylaxis is more common with rocuronium and succinylcholine than with atracurium, a topic that is difficult to assess and was first highlighted in this journal in 2003.2 Although any medication can potentially cause perioperative anaphylaxis,...

The undesirable effects of neuromuscular blocking drugs.

Neuromuscular blocking drugs are designed to bind to the nicotinic receptor at the neuromuscular junction. However, they also interact with other acetylcholine receptors in the body. Binding to these receptors causes adverse effects that vary with the specificity for the cholinergic receptor in question. Moreover, all neuromuscular blocking drugs may cause hypersensitivity reactions. Often the ...

Neuromuscular blocking drugs in infants and children.

Neuromuscular blocking drugs are valuable adjuncts to the practice of pediatrics. Monitoring of drug effects is technically more difficult in the younger patient. Nevertheless, careful observation of drug effects will improve the usefulness of NMB and safeguard the patient from prolonged weakness. Although there are differences in neuromuscular function with age in the pediatric age range, the ...

Neuromuscular blocking drugs in infants and children

Neuromuscular blocking drugs (NMBDs), are given to infants and children for anaesthesia to provide muscle relaxation, to reduce the quantity of anaesthetic agent required and to facilitate controlled ventilation. The effective use of NMBDs in paediatric practice requires a knowledge of certain fundamental differences in the responses of paediatric patients and adults to these drugs, and the phy...