Reversing non-depolarising muscle relaxants

A survey of non-depolarising muscle relaxants used in cardiac anaesthesia and surgery

Introduction: Residual neuromuscular blockade contributes to postoperative morbidity and mortality, and is more common with long-acting non-depolarising muscle relaxants (NDMRs) such as pancuronium [1]. This phenomenon may be a common occurrence in 'fast-track' managed cardiac patients administered long-acting NDMRs. We examine the usage of NDMRs in cardiac anaesthesia in the United Kingdom. Me...

Use of muscle relaxants.

Muscle relaxants and antispasticity agents.

Muscle relaxants make up a heterogeneous group of agents and can have a clinically significant role in the treatment of chronic muscle pain. These medications are not without possible serious side effects; hence, care should be taken in deciding on their appropriateness and ongoing monitoring performed, if prescribed.

Muscle relaxants and Bier's block.

Sir We are grateful for the opportunity to reply to your correspondent. If no less an authority than Professor J. M. Hunter can write a sentence beginning 'With the advent of the two new non-depolarizing muscle relaxants, atracurium and vecurionium . . .' (Hunter, 1987), we feel we may use the same expression. Ethical committee approval for the addition of atracurium to Bier's blocks was obtain...

Muscle Disorders and the Relaxants.

1 Muscle weakness is a feature of many illnesses but the present discussion will be confined mainly to conditions in which it is a manifestation of defects in the anterior horn cells, the motor nerves, the neuromuscular junction, or the muscle itself. The pathogenesis of these disorders is often ill-understood and more than one component of the neuromuscular system may be involved. Moreover, kn...